


in the night, don't fade away

by aerobreaking



Series: hold on, I still need you [7]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Hybrids, M/M, Multi, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:48:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27532531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aerobreaking/pseuds/aerobreaking
Summary: When Yuri decides to foster hybrids he immediately thinks about cat hybrids, he doesn't know how he ended up adopting not one but two canines.
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov/Yuri Plisetsky, Katsuki Yuuri/Yuri Plisetsky, Victor Nikiforov/Yuri Plisetsky
Series: hold on, I still need you [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1728439
Comments: 29
Kudos: 123





	1. prologue

**Author's Note:**

> lololol, it's me again, bringing you a new story about hybrids...  
> i hope you enjoy it.

* * *

“It’s okay, Yurochka,” His grandfather says—or at least he thinks—

He groans, the pain in his side burning, that’s all he can really think. _It hurts. It hurts. It hurts._

“I know, I’m sorry,” The person says again, and now he knows for sure that it’s not his grandfather. “Help is coming.” 

But his deduska had been with him just a minute ago. Where did he go? 

He’s cold. The blue sky fracturing into stained glass. Even breathing hurts. Even moving.

But suddenly, something covers him, and he’s warm. He feels himself being cradled and he sees the blurry figure of someone but he still can’t make out who. But he knows this person, he’s sure he does. He just can’t quite remember from where. He feels safe. 

“Hurts,” He says again. He’s complaining but he’s not sure anymore if it’s even true. The cold has begun to numb his fingers and he thinks maybe it’s a dream. 

He breathes in and the freezing air burns his lungs but he can’t even cough, not anymore.

For a long time, nothing happens, he hears the wind blowing, smells the crisp air, and finally, nothing.

* * *

Life ends at nineteen. 

Well, in other words—

His career ends when he’s nineteen. But it doesn’t really end. It’s more like ripped— _stolen_ —from him in the form of a car accident. Isn’t that fucking hilarious? Years and years of giving his soul and blood to the sport only to end in a matter of minutes. And not even on the ice but instead in the middle of a Saint Petersburg highway inside a mangled car. Fuck that. No really, _fuck that bullshit_. 

It’s not a bad career, he has one Grand Prix Final title, two worlds, three Russian Nationals, and an Olympic bronze. It’s not bad. But fuck he had wanted so much more. He wanted more years, more time, more medals, more greatness, just _moremoremore_! 

After getting out of the hospital he hopes for a miracle, one of those you see in movies where it all works out one way or another in the end. Where the main character fights and struggles and is rewarded by recovery, by achieving the impossible. But real life doesn’t work that way. Not for him. His right leg had completely shattered and though they had done multiple reconstructions surgeries it wasn’t enough. Not enough to be who he used to be, to do the things he used to do. He would never be the same again, his body felt like something foreign, like it didn’t belong to him anymore, he had limp, and even after two years, he couldn’t go five hours without a flare-up of pain. It sucked. It reaaaaallyyyyy fucking sucked. Fuck. Every time he thought about it it just made him miserable. And all he could think was that not skating was equivalent to being dead. He died that day of the accident. What the paramedics pulled out of the wreckage was a lifeless bag of flesh that was nothing more than a waste of space. 

He thinks about coaching, because why the fuck not right? But it makes him bitter. Seeing all those able-bodied children with nothing but the future opening up before them doing the one thing he loved while being stuck on the sidelines made him disgusted. But it’s the only way to stay near the ice so he bears with it though none of the kids he teaches like him. They say he’s too mean and yells too much. Since he can’t just _show_ them what to do he has to try and explain it to them and Yuri’s never been any good at verbal communication. When he gives instructions they don’t understand what he wants of them and this makes him impatient and irritable and in turn, he resorts to yelling. 

At least Mila is there to do damage control even though she looks as though she wants to punch his teeth in. Whatever. He doesn’t fucking care anyway. 

He manages to get his coaching credentials mostly because Yakov pulls strings but then, there’s no one who wants to work with him. He’s known as a hardass around Yubileyny and no one wants to be a meter close to him let alone be _coached_ by him. But whatever, all this sad monologue isn’t even necessary but you gotta understand the circumstances surrounding Yuri’s sorry life _before._

So, there he is. Twenty-two years old, a walking corpse, with nothing to live for and nothing to hope for either. He moves out of the city center and into the dacha his deduska had left him as an inheritance. It’s a nice grand old house that Yuri remembers visiting every summer when he wasn’t training. He’d stopped going to it once his grandfather passed away four years ago. Now, it seemed like the only good place where he could go and feel sorry for himself.

The next six months are just a blur, he doesn’t do much besides eat, sleep, and drink himself into a stupor. 

This all changes when Otabek comes to visit him. He takes one look at Yuri and then proceeds to dump all his alcohol down the drain. 

“No more,” He says, in that severe voice that lets Yuri know that he’s _really_ serious.

Yuri shrugs.

“Promise me.” His friend presses, his lips settling into a straight line.

“Fine,” Yuri answers because if he doesn’t Otabek will find a way to haunt his dreams, “I’ll try.”

“That’s good enough for now.” 

For the rest of his stay, Otabek keeps a close eye on him, it makes Yuri roll his eyes but he’s grateful. To some extent. 

“There’s something I want to talk to you about,” His friend says, two days before he’s set to leave.

Yuri quirks his eyebrows, “What about?”

Otabek remains quiet for a minute and he looks as though he’s contemplating something deeply. Finally, he asks, “Have you…heard of the Hybrid Mobilization Movement?”

“Yes,” Yuri answers. He’s heard about it plenty on the news.

“Well,” Otabek presses, “What do you think about it?”

The blond shrugs, “It’s a good thing. I think. My grandfather used to be involved.”

“And you?” 

“I was too busy with other stuff,” He says, and neither delves deep into what ‘other stuff’ means. 

“What about now?”

Yuri frowns, “What do you mean?”

“Would you be willing to…be involved now?”

Yuri doesn’t immediately answer because he’s not sure what Otabek is trying to get at.

He must see this because the dark-haired man continues, “Would you be willing to foster, is what I’m asking.”

“Hybrids?” Yuri questions.

He nods.

“I don’t know. I’ve never—never thought about it.”

“I’m part of a rescue organization,” Otabek begins, "I’ve been fostering a fox hybrid for a couple of months now. And I've been in contact with some places here in Russia and they’re really in need of foster homes.”

Yuri doesn’t really have anything to say to that. He knows that the population of hybrids has been on the rise in the last ten years. But his knowledge of hybrids is pretty limited. He’s seen them around, of course, who doesn't? They’re like...the ultimate sign of prosperity. The law forbids hybrids from living on their own without an ‘owner’ the problem is, nine times out of then, the owner is a piece of shit human being that treats them like slaves. They have no rights, no way to own property or get money on their own, they’re just classified as subhuman and therefore they suffer because of it. 

But they’re people—or at least, their great-grandparents had been, before the war and before governments started running their disguising experiments. Hybrids have thoughts of their own, they take up space, they have feelings and personalities and they have souls. 

Yuri’s disgusted at their treatment, to be honest.

That's where the Mobilization Movement comes in. 

"Just think about it," Otabek says finally. 

And Yuri does, actually. 

He's not sure he's an ideal candidate, to be honest, but he only has to keep them for a few weeks, and then they're taken to a sanctuary. There's not really any benefit to it though. Not for him. 

He remembers back when he was six, his grandfather had fostered a couple of bunny hybrids for a while, but the majority of his efforts were spent at a recovery shelter where abused hybrids were rehabilitated. Yuri fills out the application without thinking. He downloads it into his computer and returns it signed with all his contact information before he can even give himself the chance to second guess himself.  He makes sure he checks the cat hybrid only box and submits it to the Hybrid Rescue website. 

He's approved within days and he waits anxiously for a call. Weeks pass and nothing. Eventually, he stops expecting a call, but when someone finally does call Yuri  it’s not about a cat but a dog.

“I’m sorry,” The representative says, “Your application somehow ended up in the No Preference file. But that’s alright...I’ll go ahead and change it.”

Yuri is sure that somewhere along the chain of bureaucracy someone must have fucked up.  Yuri hates himself for asking, but maybe he really is lonely, “What’s the hybrid like?”

“Well,” The woman at the end of the line says, “He’s a Shiba Inu, very calm normally...just a little anxious around large crowds.”

Yuri clicks the pen in his hand, “Was he abused?”

“Heavily neglected and starved but he’s not aggressive.”

The blond sighs heavily away from the receiver, hoping that he won’t regret his decision. “You know what it’s fine, I’ll foster him.” His stomach twists weirdly,he always gets uncomfortable about talking about hybrids like they’re pets. "How long will I have to keep him?"

“Oh! Thank you! You were the last person on the list and if you didn’t take him he might have been sent to a shelter.”

If she’s trying to pull at Yuri’s heartstrings then she absolutely succeeds because Yuri is too soft-hearted for his own good.

She continues, "And it should only be for a few weeks while we work on his paperwork to be transferred to a sanctuary city."

"Okay," Yuri murmurs and then tells her. "But next time...only cats."

"Yes! I will change your preference. Thank you! He'll be dropped off tomorrow. What time works for you?"

Looking back, if Yuri had known about all the things that would take place in the following years, the hurt, the anguish, the loss, and sadness, he knows, deep in his heart that he wouldn't have had it any other way. And if he went back in time and received this call again, he would have made the same decision. 


	2. daylight is fading

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you to everyone that left kudos!  
> without further ado...

* * *

Yuri follows the large footprints in the snow. 

The wind is blowing insistently, and his cheeks are flushed red from the cold. He no longer feels the tips of his fingers and his lashes have snow stuck on them. 

"Come on!" The figure he's following says. "Just a few more miles."

"But I'm so tired," He tells them.

"Just come _on._ The sun is about to set. If we stay here, we're going to die!"

Dying doesn't sound like something Yuri wants to do. He has his first competition next week. He can't _die_ here. 

He forces his legs to take another step forward, and then another and another. But it's impossible. No matter how much he tries he's getting more and more tired. He stops, and the figure keeps on walking, Yuri wants to tell them to stop but he can't even open his mouth to call after them. He's _that_ tired. 

The world shifts out of focus but when it clears someone is kneeling in front of him facing away from him.

"Get on," He hears him say, and Yuri's body lags but he slowly wraps his arms around the man. 

"You're warm," He mumbles into his neck. 

"Yeah, yeah," He answers, "You're an ice cube."

"Your fault..." 

"No, _your_ fault. Remember?" 

"Mmm," He hums and then repeats, as his eyes begin to droop, "You're warm. Vitya, you're so warm."

* * *

Yuuri is brought to his house on a Wednesday afternoon. 

He has the standard, non-aggressive type, sky blue collar around his neck and he brings with him a carry on suitcase and a potted pothos. As soon as Yuri sees him, he knows why no one else had wanted to foster him. Yuuri is big—adult male type of big. He's not like the majority of hybrids that are genetically modified to not grow larger than five feet. But Yuuri's taller than Yuri by a couple of inches and he's _foreign_. His ears and tail are the same dark black as his hair and his eyes a dark brown.

"He's Japanese," The volunteer says when he catches Yuri analyzing his new 'charge', "Bought as a puppy and then given up for adoption. He was adopted by a family for a while but then he got too big and old. He's...twenty-six." 

Yes, Yuri knows. He'd been sent Yuuri's information last night. 

"He understands English and bits of Russian but he's not fluent. He's not a picky eater and he has no known allergies."

Yuri nods feeling a little bad that Yuuri has just been standing there looking at the floor trying to blend into the background as they talk about him like he's not even there. When the volunteer is done with the introductions and gotten Yuri to sign all the paperwork he leaves. Yuuri stays rooted in his spot, waiting for Yuri's instructions. A tense moment of silence passes in which Yuri doesn't really know what he should do.

“Come on,” Yuri says, finally, and though his voice isn’t loud, Yuuri flinches.

"S-sorry," The blond mutters and Yuuri shakes his head.

After a moment, Yuuri takes a step closer and Yuri leads him up the stairs and down the hallway to a room. “This is your room,” He tells him, as he opens the door and motions for him to enter. Yuuri walks in cautiously, pulling his suitcase with him. Yuri can’t really tell what his initial thoughts are because the slight, scared look on his face doesn’t really give anything away. 

“The bathroom is right across the hall,” Yuri continues, “I have my own, so you don’t have to worry about me getting into your stuff. I...don’t really cook but you can order anything you want,” He walks over to a box that’s laying on the bedside table, “Here, you can use this.” He holds up one of his old phones, “I programmed the numbers to some restaurants but you can look online if you’d like anything else.” When Yuri hands him the phone, the hybrid cups it between his hands as if afraid of letting it fall on the floor, “Or you can make a list of grocery items and I can buy them for you.”

Yuuri still doesn't say anything and the more time Yuri spends with him the more he wants to run away. Maybe he really was way in over his head. 

Finally, Yuuri opens his mouth, and Yuri has to strain his ears to hear what he has to say, "The...whole.." He motions to the room, "Mine?"

"Yes," Yuri says slowly. "Do you...not like it?"

The hybrid shakes his head and shifts on his feet nervously, "Big."

Yuri raises his eyebrows in surprise and looks around the room. To him, it looked pretty small, actually. It fit a bed, a desk, and a dresser. That was it. He'd spent the whole day yesterday debating on whether he should use a full-sized mattress or a twin to save more space. Eventually, after calling Otabek for his opinion, he'd decided on the full, just because he thought the hybrid would want a more comfortable place to sleep in.

“I’m going to be downstairs,” Yuri says, finally, unable to find the words or actions to make Yuuri feel more at ease, “You can...unpack and...sleep...or whatever.”

* * *

The first few days are quiet, Yuuri doesn't talk, doesn't leave his room, or make any noise. Yuri leaves his food on a platter outside his door and researches all he can about taking care of a dog hybrid online. Key things he's learned: the majority of dog hybrids have an oral fixation (he needs to buy him toys to help with his itching gums), dog hybrids have ruts (once a year), they have a strong sense of smell, they're allergic to chocolate (it won't kill them, but they'll have bad reactions), they like to be pet (but only by people they trust), and they trust very easily. Of course, these are all characteristics that can be applied to healthy, unabused hybrids.

Yuuri's different, and while some things might apply to him, at the end of the day, Yuuri isn't an animal. Yuri doesn't expect the guy to suddenly start cozying up to him. So all he can do is give him space and hope that he doesn't die on his watch. He's only supposed to stay with Yuri for a few weeks anyway.

The first week passes and it almost feels as though it's just _him_ again and he imagined the whole fostering thing since it doesn't feel like anyone else is in this large, old house. But in the middle of the second week, Yuuri finally leaves his room. He quietly comes down the stairs while Yuri is ordering food for them again when he says, "H-hello."

The blond looks up from his phone and raises his eyebrows, "Hello." He pauses and then continues, "Did you want something in specific for dinner?"

"I—" The hybrid begins pointing to himself and says in his choppy Russian, "Cook."

"You want to cook?"

He nods, more enthusiastic than Yuri's ever seen him.

"Katsudon!" He exclaims.

"I don't—I don't know what that is," Yuri murmurs under his breath.

Yuuri pulls out the phone Yuri had given him and shows it to him. The recipe is in English and as Yuri reads over the ingredients he shrugs, agreeing.

"Buy," Yuuri says pointing at the recipe. 

"I have to buy the ingredients." Yuri concludes after a moment of Yuur's silent staring, he stands up, "Okay, I'll go."

That's how their first actual interaction goes. Yuri goes to buy the ingredients and when Yuuri sees that he manages to find everything at an Asian Market he looks absolutely delighted. He gets to work quickly and when Yuri takes the first bite of that Katsudon, it's almost like a religious experience. Yuri doesn't even remember how many years it's been since someone made him a homecooked meal. And to make it even better, it's absolutely delicious.

"It's good!" He tells him and Yuuri beams. His smile taking up his whole face and Yuri feels his ears burn red. He clears his throat. "Right, it's great."

Later that night, he stares up at his ceiling and smacks his forehead. "Do _NOT_." 

The next day Yuuri makes Katsudon again. And Yuri savors it again. The next day...Katsudon. And the next day, and the next, and the next, and the following one too. For three straight weeks, Yuuri makes Katsudon every day. And it's great...because Yuuri has really become more comfortable in his presence and doesn't stand at attention every time Yuri stands up from the table or comes into the kitchen. Yuri has also been helping him with his Russian and bought him a few workbooks so he can get better. So yeah...it's great. But Yuri, at around the twentieth day of katsudon, has to excuse himself for a few minutes during dinner because he threw up a little in his mouth. The katsudon is still delicious but Yuri is so _sick of it_. 

He begins to suspect that katsudon is the only thing Yuuri can cook. 

"Yuuri," He begins on the twenty-fifth day, "Don't you-don't you want to eat something else today?" Yuri has had katsudon for lunch and dinner for almost a month and he doesn't think he can go on. There's no way. 

Yuuri blinks slowly, his brows furrowing, "Don't like?"

The blond stays quiet for a few seconds because he doesn't want to say something tactless, he's trying to be better, "No. It's not that. Just...maybe—don't you want to cook something else?"

The hybrid looks down at the food he's been preparing and says in a relieved tone, "I don't want to eat more."

Yuri's brows quirk in surprise, "Why did you keep making it then?"

"You never said stop."

"What?" 

"You didn't say stop. Thought you liked." 

"I do like it...it's just...a lot."

Yuuri remains quiet for a full minute and after opening a closing his mouth more than once finally says,  "Master says when to stop." 

Yuri nearly chokes on his own saliva and exclaims with more vehemence than necessary, "I'm _not_ your master! _"_

Yuuri flinches, his ears and shoulders dropping, and he draws into himself as if he was expecting a blow. Yuri instantly regrets his tone, he steps forward, but Yuuri takes a step back and when Yuri finally notices that Yuuri's tail is between his legs he knows he fucked up. He takes five steps back, giving Yuuri enough room to leave.

But Yuuri stays rooted on the spot and it's Yuri the one that runs away instead. 

He calls Otabek.

"While I understand your good intentions," Otabek begins, "He probably thinks of you of someone that can give him structure."

"But why does he need _me_ to do that for him?"  


"He's scared. He's probably been told what to do all his life and he doesn't know how to live without orders." 

Yuri swallows his need to argue because that makes no damn sense to him. 

"He'll make his own decisions little by little, but right now, what the needs is probably for you to tell him what he should do."

After hanging up with his friend, Yuri goes back online to do more research on dog hybrids. The house becomes quiet again. Yuuri stays in his room and Yuri doesn't know what he should say or do to make him come back out. So he chooses to do nothing instead. Yuuri's leaving soon anyway, that's what he thinks anyway, until—

"Hi," The representative greets in a slow, forcefully chipper voice from the other side of the receiver, and Yuri instantly feels dread pool in his gut. He's familiar with that type of tone. It's bad news.

"Yes," Yuri responds.

"How has Yuuri been settling in?"

"Fine," He shortly answers.

She pauses and then she sighs, "There's...been a new development."

"What is it?"

"Yuuri's application might take a little longer than a few weeks to get approved."

He frowns, "How much is a little longer?"

"Six to seven months," She says very quickly.

" _Months?"_ He questions, his voice cracking. "Why so _long_?"

"Because...there's a lot of problems with his paperwork. His previous owner is trying to argue for his return and—"

"—He's not going _back_!" Yuri cuts, feeling a strange indignation rise inside him. 

"Of course we're not letting him go!" She says, as indignant as him, "But if his owner—" _He doesn't own him!_ Yuri wants to shout, "—decides to go to court we can't move forward with his application."

When the call ends, Yuri sits at his desk with his head in his hands. Six to seven months, he thinks, that's a long time to stay at a stranger's house. Would Yuuri even want to stay here that long? But then, what choice does he even have? No one had wanted to take him in before and the only other option is a shelter. Yuri's heard awful things about hybrid shelters. He thinks the best thing for everyone involved would be to let Yuuri decide.

Yuuri, understandably, is very upset when Yuri tells him about the possibility of his extended stay.

"I don't mind you staying here," Yuri says, trying to keep his voice steady and reassuring (something he's never been good at), "You can definitely stay."

Yuuri worries his bottom lip, picks at his nails, and doesn't answer.

Long minutes pass and he still says nothing.

"Well," Yuri says, "You can think about it."

A week goes by in radio silence and Yuri begins to suspect that maybe Yuuri won't stay but on the morning of the eighth day, Yuri wakes up to the smell of something sweet. He descends the stairs quietly and hears Yuuri murmuring to himself in what Yuri suspects is Japanese, titering around the kitchen. He pauses and notices Yuuri's pothos in the living room. He hadn't seen it in the whole time Yuuri had been staying here. He'd kept it in his room but now—now it sat innocently on top of the bookshelf, its vines beginning to drape down its length. He stares at it for a long time, wondering what it means that it's there. 

"Breakfast," Yuuri says, making Yuri jump almost a foot in the air.

"Holy shit you scared me," Yuri says, bringing a hand to his chest to calm the sudden rise of his heartbeat.

"Sorry," He mumbles but then says, "Breakfast."

"Right," Yuri says, following after him to where he has it set up on the table. 

They sit in silence for a few seconds and then Yuuri says, "I'll stay."

For some reason, Yuri feels some weight lift off his shoulders because of this, "Great."

Yuuri nods then fiddles with the fork for a few seconds before he musters up the courage to say, "Pancakes. Like?"

Yuri nods, "Yes, I like them."

"Pancakes." Yuuri continues, "Tomorrow?"

"No," Yuri says, and even though he isn't his master if what Yuuri needs right now to feel comfortable is structure, then Yuri is more than happy to provide it. "Eggs."

Yuuri nods happily and repeats, "Eggs."

* * *

Yuri has access to Yuuri's entire file and at first, he'd been tempted to read through it to know what to expect but eventually, he'd decided against it. He didn't want there to be an imbalance of power, with Yuri knowing everything about the Shiba Inu hybrid and him not knowing anything in return. He thinks maybe getting to know each other normally would be best, but there are times he wishes he could open the file and have insight into Yuuri's life so he can have some insight into Yuuri's thought process. 

For the next two months, Yuuri follows a schedule Yuri had drawn up for him. It's not too strict but it seems that Yuuri is very happy to follow it. His Russian is improving too. 

At around the fourth month Yuuri is with him, Yuri gets a call about fostering a cat. He debates it for a long time, wondering if bringing someone else would affect Yuuri but when Yuri asks him, Yuuri seems to very open about the idea. 

So soon they're joined by Anna, a Bengal cat girl. She has a yellow collar around her neck. Non-aggressive, street rescue, small-sized type hybrid. She's quiet and Yuuri cooks for her too though she looks at him up and down, her nose wrinkled in distaste. She never refers to Yuuri by name instead she always calls him "Dog."

Yuuri doesn't seem as bothered about this as Yuri would have expected. 

She stays with them for three weeks and then she's taken to a sanctuary city. 

"Goodbye, dog." She tells Yuuri, her nose in the air.

"Goodbye," Yuuri waves, smiling.

After Anna come the quadruplets. Four kittens. Aged seven, pink collars, domesticated, non-aggressive. 

Sergei, Evgeny, Alexander, and the only girl, Christina. They're little terrors and they get into _everything._ Yuuri has to constantly be following after them because the one time he'd taken his eyes off them for more than fifteen minutes, Evgeny had climbed on the roof and the other three were egging him to jump to see if his cat reflexes were getting any better. They were the most curious little things and they're really the ones that get Yuuri off his schedule. Yuri tries his best, but the quadruplets clearly like Yuuri better, especially because he's taller than them and they use him as a climbing pole. 

Yuri's just glad Yuuri is there, he doesn't even want to think how he would be managing the little terrors on his own. They're cute when they're asleep if nothing else. They all somehow manage to curl up on the couch one on top of the other twice a day and take long naps. Yuuri cooks them whatever they want and he doesn't ask Yuri for permission anymore.

Internally, Yuri is proud. Proud that Yuuri seems to finally be flourishing into the adult he should have been, years ago, if given the chance. But it's not too late to start. 

It's around this time when Liza, Yuuri's caseworker, calls again in that fake cheery tone that only spells out bad news. 

"So..." She begins, "Owner is going to court." She pauses, "We're fighting it. And I have no doubt we'll win but Yuuri will probably have to stay there for at least another year."

"Okay," Yuri says, angry. Not at the fact that Yuuri's staying longer but at the man that just can't _let him go._ "I'll tell him."

Yuri sits him down on the living room couch and the quadruplets waste no time cuddling up to him and falling asleep. He breaks the news as nicely as he can. 

"Oh!" Yuuri exclaims, not at all sad, "That's fine! I can just stay with you. Right?"

Yuri nods, "But don't you feel...angry? That he won't let you be free?"

"I am free." Yuuri tells him, "Here. With you. I like it here." He caresses Sergei's ears and the little hybrid seemingly melts into Yuuri's touch, "They're here too, and you."

"But they'll be leaving soon," Yuri says because the quadruplets are scheduled to be transferred and adopted by a good family in the next month. 

"But there will be more, right?"

Yuri nods, two sets of twins are the next kittens he's been told he's going to foster. 

"And you'll need me," Yuuri says confidently. And then, more softly, "And you will be here."

"I will," Yuri answers.

"Then it's fine." 

Yuri's not completely convinced about it, but it's not like he can sit there and argue with Yuuri about it.

So, the quadruplets leave all teary-eyed and sniffling, and the first set of twins, Dimitri and Dima, come the very next day. They're ten years old, pink collars, but they're quiet, a very big difference to the quadruplets. It takes them a few days to warm up to Yuuri but once they do, it's like they've known him their whole life. Yuri is fascinated by the ease Yuuri has with kitten hybrids, it's like a gift, honestly. And when the other twins come, Yuri can only stare in awe as he wins them over too.

His house is full of laughter and joy, Yuri doesn't ever remember being glad for children's laughter but here he is. Sometimes, Yuri will close his eyes and just listen. Listen to them running around upstairs, shrieking as Yuuri chases after them with promises of eating them if he catches them.

It's satisfying, in a way. The work he's doing is helping hybrids that need it, it's valuable and _meaningful_. After all that time feeling worthless and without a purpose, he finally feels like he's found something to believe in. He believes in what he's doing.

He believes in Yuuri.

Both sets of twins leave the house at the same time and though it pains Yuri to watch them go, he can't help believing that their future will be bright. 

For two weeks the house is silent again, but it's not as silent as it once had been because Yuuri is there, always cooking something in the kitchen or watching TV in the living room. It's been a year since he came and Yuri almost can't imagine life without him. There's been a thought brewing in the back of his head for quite some time now, but he doesn't know if he'll ever have the confidence to ask Yuuri about it. Instead, he pushes the thought to the back of his head and tries to forget about it. 

* * *

"Hello!" Someone greets as soon as he answers the phone, "How are you?"

"Good," Yuri responds, "Who is this?"

"Oh, sorry I didn't introduce myself, my name is Ekaterina Khoreva. I'm with the Russian Hybrid Rescue Agency."

"Ahh, nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too. I was calling because there's something I would like to speak to you about."

"Okay..."

"Well, I see that you're fostering a dog hybrid right now, and I know Liza said you only wanted cat hybrids, but is there any possibility that you might foster another dog hybrid?"

Yuri stays quiet. 

"I know, I know it's not what you had requested," She continues, "But we could really, _really_ use your help."

If this had been a year ago, right after he'd taken in Yuuri, he'd probably be mad about this. But now it seemed like something completely trivial.

"I don't mind it," Yuri says.

"Oh!" She exclaims, probably expecting more resistance, "Great! Great!"

Mikhail comes in the summer, the sun high in the sky, and the heavens as blue as his eyes.

Green collar. 


	3. a cold wind blows

Even before Yuuri comes around the corner Yuri already knows how today’s lunch session turned out. 

He really tries not to laugh as Yuuri comes into the kitchen looking like a lost puppy as he holds the broken pieces of a bowl in his hands. The porridge that was _supposed_ to be eaten coats his hair and the front of his shirt. His furry dark ears are flat on his head as he throws the glass in the trash and he refuses to meet Yuri's eyes.

“I told you,” Yuri says, feeling a tinge of pity for the hybrid.

“He’s just shy.” Yuuri immediately defends, “He’s in a new place...and he doesn’t know us…”

Yuri doesn’t voice is his actual opinion on the matter, "Maybe."

Mikhail has been with them for almost a month now and the thirteen-year-old refused to socialize with them. Yuri had thought he would get better eventually but nothing worked. Not the toys, not the food, and not even Yuuri's gentle coaxing. No, the hybrid was dead set on hating them. It was especially bad when the doctor—Yuri refused to call her a _vet_ —came by. He would scream and shout himself hoarse swinging his fist at Yuri's face when he tried holding him down. The doctor had to sedate him every single time she came, and even as he lost consciousness Mikhail would look at Yuri with burning hatred in his eyes. Yuri had talked to the doctor about Mikhail’s behavior the first time she came but she’d only shaken her head and tried to explain, “Side effect. Probably.”

Well, what can Yuri do about that? 

“When I first got here,” Yuuri says, bringing Yuri out of his head, “I didn’t come out of my room because you told me to stay there.”

Yuri can barely keep himself from rolling his eyes, “Don’t bring _that_ up.” 

When Yuri had asked about it, Yuuri had said, _you told me to stay there and unpack and sleep._ But how could have Yuri known the hybrid was going to take it _that_ seriously?

“I’m just saying,” The hybrid says, “that it took every single ounce of strength I had to actually come out without your permission. Maybe he has the same problem?”

“I didn’t tell him anything. He’s just being annoying.”

“Don’t say that,” Yuuri murmurs, frowning and looking disappointed, “You don’t know what he’s been through.”

Actually, Yuri does. Contrary to Yuuri’s situation, before he could take Mikhail in he had been required to take a course on green collared hybrids. The main takeaway from that had been that the foster owner _had_ to know the case history of the hybrid they were taking in.

“Right,” Yuri says, not wanting Yuuri to talk to him in that disapproving tone for the rest of the day. “I’m sure he’ll come around eventually.” 

He hoped he did, Yuri honestly did.

* * *

While Mikhail continues to be evasive and wreaks havoc on all their dishes, a new hybrid comes in September. 

He comes under the cover of the night because he’s a special type of hybrid. His location must be kept secret and he can't be transferred during the day unless the agency and volunteers want to deal will trappers or worse— _hunters_. He’s a normal light-blue collar but he’s unlike anyone Yuri’s ever fostered before.

Orel is a deer hybrid and his antlers are almost fully grown by the time he arrives at Yuri’s house. 

Yuuri stares in awe at them. They both do, actually, and Orel snaps defensively, “Fuck off!”

“So-sorry,” Yuuri apologizes immediately but Yuri just averts his eyes. 

Despite Orel's initial prickly attitude, after he realizes that neither Yuri nor Yuuri will try to touch him without his permission, he becomes quite comfortable. A little _too_ comfortable. He spends the majority of his time in the living room completely monopolizing the TV since he can’t move around easily. He lays on the couch, the backrest and the wall supporting his head and antlers. He's always complaining about headaches and bossing Yuuri around telling him “get me this” or “get me that” and Yuuri doesn’t complain because after a while he and Orel strike up a friendship of some kind. Orel isn't as tough as he had wanted them to believe, he's actually quite the whiny baby, despite being in his twenties. 

After a few weeks, the deer hybrid had even let Yuuri touch his antlers, which was a huge show of trust on his part, as he complained. “It fucking sucks! The only time I’m released of this torture is when they fall off and I’m fucking _free_. But then spring comes again and they start growing again! It’s like…I was destined to suffer for _eternity_. It's bullshit I tell you. _Complete_ bullshit.”

Yuuri listened on sympathetically, “It must so be hard.”

“Oh!” Orel says, feeding off Yuuri’s pity, “It is! And then humans want to hunt you down like a deer too! My owner liked to do that. He’d tell me, ‘if you can outrun me, I’ll set you free’ but I always lost. Then he’d cut them off and sell them. I hear they pay good money for them in the black market.”

Yuuri's eyes were blown wide open with horror, “He’d _hunt_ you?”

“Yep,” The hybrid nods, “I could never get very far, these things are super heavy, the only reason I got out was because the master died, and then his kids didn’t really want me so they surrendered me to the agency."

"That's awful," Yuuri says. Yuri can't help but agree too.

Orel is an open book and he didn’t hold anything back. Not his opinions or his suffering and he talked about it all like it was normal. Like being hunted down was something every deer hybrid experienced. He was also quite dramatic when he wanted to be, like when Yuuri took too long bringing him a milkshake or something equally trivial.  Orel’s arrival seemed to liven up the house once again because there was always something going on with him. And while Yuuri is focused on trying to make him comfortable, Yuri notices how, sometimes, a little bob of blond hair will be visible in the kitchen when it's empty, moving around quietly.

“Ahh!” Orel exclaims one day when Yuri is reading a book in the dining room, “You’re on TV!” 

Yuri looks up to see himself on the television and has to stop what he's doing and stare. Channel one is doing a special about the best ice skaters of recent times and the commentator is talking about _him_ , about his career highlights and they play reruns of his most memorable performances. For some reason, he can’t quite associate himself with the boy on the screen. It's a peculiar feeling, that boy lived in a different world, a world so far away from him that he didn’t even believe that he had once belonged there.

“Oh wow!” Yuuri gasps as the younger Yuri—a Yuri that was _whole_ and didn't have a broken body—lands a perfectly beautiful triple axel as if it were the most natural thing in the world, “You were so amazing!”

“Thanks,” Yuri slowly says after a pregnant pause. The reruns continue to play and Yuri can't help it, he looks away from his past. He didn’t realize until now how much he didn't want to remember those times. How much it still left an empty feeling inside him.  Thankfully, the torture soon comes to an end, and the special moves on to another greater, better perfectly healthy skater. He bites his tongue, trying to keep down his bitterness. 

Both hybrids keep their attention on the television and Yuri sluggishly rises from his seat, desperate to get away from here yet his body doesn't move as fast as he wanted it to. He’s not expecting to find Mikhail standing there like a statue when he turns onto the hallway.

“What are you doing?” Yuri asks him.

“You used to skate,” Mikhail says not answering the question. 

“Once upon a time,” He mutters, stepping around the boy and continuing on his way.

He hears Mikhail follow him, his footstep quickly following after him. When Yuri is about to step on the first stair the boy demands in a loud voice, “Teach me!”

Yuri freezes, thinking maybe he heard wrong, and turns back, “What?”

Clear blue eyes look up at him, and Mikhail repeats, “Teach me. To skate.” There's a long pause as both of them stare at each other in silence. “Please.”

* * *

It's strange that the one thing he least expected brings him closer to Mikhail. Well, close is too kind a term. 

He takes Yuuri and Mikhail with him twice a week to an outdoor skating rink, Orel stays home, because his antlers would attract too much unwanted attention. Orel, of course, complains that he's being neglected, and the only way they can make it up to him if they all each take a turn massaging his head when they return. Yuri rolls his eyes so hard at this, but if he doesn't do the massage Orel will whine and complain until tears are running down his cheeks. He's worse than any of the kittens they have fostered, and that's saying a lot. 

But the weekly skating sessions really help Mikhail feel more comfortable around them and he no longer stays holed up in his room all the time. No, instead, now he fights with Orel for the TV because the stages for the Russian figure skating cups take place from October to December and there's also the Grand Prix Series playing and he wants to watch every single competition. More than once, over and over. Yuuri naturally tries to play the referee because he hates it when they fight. 

At least now, as underhanded as it is, Yuri has something to hold over Mikhail's head to get him to play nice. 

He knocks on the door twice, for a few long seconds there's silence on the other side but then, right as he's about to knock again, Mikhail says, "Come in."

Yuri pushes the door open and walks in, he sets a bag on the table as he asks him, "So are you going to drink your medicine today or are you going to be a brat about it?"

"Tch," Mikhail says clicking his tongue, "You try drinking that shit and tell me how it feels."

"Oh I know it sucks, but you still have to drink it anyway."

"Whatever," The teen hybrid says annoyed, and extends his hand, "Let's just get it over with."

Yuri pulls out the pills and a bottle of water and hands them over to him. Mikhail pops the pills in his mouth and makes a show of throwing his head back as he swallows down the entire water bottle. 

"Open your mouth," Yuri requests when he's done.

"I drank them." 

"So show me."

Mikhail wrinkles his nose and sticks out his tongue, then he lifts it so Yuri can see that he did, in fact, take the pills. "See, satisfied?"

"I am actually." The older responds without feeling guilty.

The dog hybrid lays back down in bed slowly, probably to wait out the effects of the medicine, "So, what are you teaching me today?"

"Today," Yuri begins as he takes a seat on the edge of the bed, "We're talking about Ulrich Salchow."

"Start talking then," Mikhail demands, his eyes shutting closed. 

Yuri begins and more than once he stops to make sure Mikhail hasn't fallen asleep.

"I'm _awake_ keep talking." He answers every time.

This becomes a nightly routine, every night after Mikhail takes his medicine, he'll talk about something relating to skating, whether about how an element got its name or about a person that revolutionized the sport. (He, of course, never talks about himself.) But it's fun talking about it, it's nice to have someone so interested in what he had once loved, and he finds that Mikhail's enthusiasm about learning makes it easier to teach him about it. Yuri's still no good at being an instructor but it's not as though Mikhail will ever actually be in a competition. 

In December, right as the month begins, Orel goes into a rut. It is...an experience. Yuri has never had two adult hybrids under the same roof when one of them is in a rut. The deer hybrid is very restless, and unlike Yuuri who kept to himself when his rut came, Orel was itching to cause fights. More so than usual and he couldn't stand to be in the same room as Yuuri. The Shiba Inu hybrid for his part stayed calm and tried his best to stay out of the way, but Orel's antagonism only kept getting worse and worse as the days passed. Eventually, Yuri has to make the decision to keep the deer hybrid strictly confined to his room and make sure the other two don't come near him. Orel hadn't shown any aggression towards Mikhail but ruts are unpredictable, and the last thing Yuri wants is to have a fight break out between them. Especially since Mikhail isn't one to back down from a challenge, even if he knows he won't win but he is, after all, a territorial Siberian husky hybrid.

The week is long, long and draining but eventually, it passes. 

When Orel comes out of it, he sheepishly rubs the back of his neck and apologizes for his behavior. 

Mikhail only shrugs in disinterest and Yuuri accepts the apology with a smile. Yuri, for his part, is only glad that it's over with.

Two days later, Orel's antlers fall off. 

"HELL YEAH!" He screams, at the crack ass of dawn as he runs around screaming and holding the antlers above his head like they're a prize, "FREEDOM!"

Yuri really wants to strangle him for waking up the whole house but when Orel presents the antlers to him as a gift the feeling dies in his chest. 

"I-I can't take these," He tells him.

"Why not?" The deer asks, holding the antlers in his hands, "These are the largest antlers I've ever grown. I _want_ you to have them."

"But they're yours," He tries to argue.

"But I'll grow more," He says matter-of-factly, "So I'm giving them to you. Because you didn't try to take them from me."

Yuri is about to refuse again but he catches movement out of the corner of his eye. Yuuri is waving his hand, trying to catch his attention, and when Yuri meets his eyes, the dog hybrid mouthes, _Take them._

The blond sighs reluctantly, and says, "Okay. Okay, I'll take them. Thank you."

Orel beams and places the large antlers in his hands. They're _heavy_ , heavier than what he expected, and pure white solid _bone._ He very quickly understands why Orel was screaming for joy to be rid of them. It must not have been easy carrying around all this weight on your head. The option to saw them down had been there, but Orel had vehemently refused. He didn't want anyone he didn't trust touching them because it brought back bad memories of the time he was hunted for sport. 

Yuri's grateful for being presented with such a precious gift, but he doesn't understand why Orel would give them up after all the time he spent growing them and taking care of them. 

"It's because he never had the chance to do what he wanted with them," Yuuri explains, later when he voices his concern, "His owner used to cut without his consent. But now he grew them because he wanted to and then he gave them to you because _he_ wanted to. It meant a lot to him that you accepted them."

At this revelation, the antlers seem to be so much more precious to him. 

He hangs them in the living room on the wall that's slowly filling with pictures from all the hybrid he's fostered. When Orel sees them there the next morning and he looks up at them proudly.

"Next time," He confidently states, "I'll grow them even bigger."

Yuri shakes his head as he let huffs a laugh, "Yeah, I'm sure you will." 

Now that Orel isn't bound to the house, he also accompanies them to the rink. Even though the weather has considerably gotten colder, they all bundle up and go to the rink because Mikhail has begun to try to do an axel and he needs all the practice he can get. So far, it had been going alright.

Yuri still feels twinges of a mixture of indifference and bitterness when he's at the rink but it's not clouding over him like it once had. He doesn't usually skate, though, and instead lingers on the benches, sipping hot chocolate, and making sure no one tries to harass them. Because it's happened before. There's not a rule against it, but there's an unspoken understanding among humans that hybrids aren't allowed in rinks. It's why they have to use an outside rink even though it's cold as hell. 

There's a lot of things that are wrong with the treatment of hybrids, Yuri has come to learn. And the more he dwells on it and the more he submerges himself into this world, the more he's than sure that something _has to_ change. If only he knew _what._

* * *

In his household, peace can only last so long. (Apparently.)

The new year brings a new foster and the fragile piece breaks. A nineteen-year-old cat girl named Sonya comes, white collared because she is six months pregnant. 

It's almost amusing because she actually likes _Yuri_ but hates everyone else. She's four foot eleven but the way the other hybrids skirt around her it's as though she was an amazon. They accommodate her now and if she claims the couch and TV no one dares to try to raise an objection.

Yuuri tries, bless his heart, to be friendly but she doesn't let him come closer than a meter before she starts baring her teeth. Mikhail is surprisingly docile about the whole situation considering his general antagonistic attitude and looks at her bulging stomach curiously. Orel just keeps his distance as much as he can and pretends to fade into the background and warns them, "When I was in the shelter I saw a pregnant cat girl almost gauge out one of the volunteer's eyes. Better to stay away." 

She lets Yuri sit next to her though and she'll lay her head in his lap when she's sleepy enough. The same doctor that comes to check on Mikhail is the one that will help them deliver the kittens when they come. Yuri's actually quite nervous about it, he's never had to take care of babies before but the doctor reassures him that Sonya will know what to do when the time comes. And so, time passes, and things begin to settle into place.

"You smell like wet dog," Sonya says rubbing her nose. 

"Oh-oh sorry," Yuuri apologizes, his ears flattening on his head, "We were shoveling snow earlier today."

"Don't apologize stupid," Mikhail comments as he flops into the couch, "She can deal with it."

"Shut up you little jackass," The girl retorts, throwing a pillow. "It's making me nauseous."

"You smell too. That makes _me_ nauseous," The boy answers without any real heat in his tone. 

"I'll have you _know_ —"

"—do you guys want hot chocolate?" Orel interrupts from the kitchen.

All of them answer with an affirmative and then Sonya begins talking Mikhail's ear off, though Yuri doubts that he's actually listening with the way he's looking at her in total disinterest. Yuri observes them all curiously, and realizes, with some interest, that they're all talking with civility despite the jabs they're making at each other. That's a step in the right direction, at least.

"They're getting along, don't you think?" Yuuri asks smiling beside him.

"Yeah," Mutters the blond, "I wonder why?"

"Something...happened last night." 

"What do you mean?"

Yuuri looks a bit hesitant but then he admits, "Misha was throwing up and Sonya was helping him...I woke up too but she wouldn't let me get near him."

"And you didn't _call me_?" Yuri asks incredulously.

"Sorry," Yuuri apologizes quickly, "But I didn't think it was worth waking you up, he wasn't really that bad. And you know it's not the first time it's happened."

Yes, it's not the first time and he supposes that if both Yuuri and Sonya were taking care of him then he would have been just an extra person fawning over him and Mikhail _hated_ that. But it's a little weird being the last to find out.

"I think she's beginning to like us," Yuuri tells him conspiringly.

"No, I'm fucking not," Sonya cuts in, "You guys are just useless." 

Yuuri looks affronted and Yuri laughs. 

February brings colds, for _everyone._

First, it's Orel, and true to his nature, he's as dramatic as he can be about it. He passes it to Yuuri and Yuuri passes it to Sonya. Sonya, on top of her pregnancy, is launched into the _worst_ mood possible and doesn't unstick herself from Yuri's side which causes Yuri to get sick. The last man standing is Mikhail and he tries to stay away from them but ultimately, he falls prey to the virus as well. The entire month is a complete cluster fuck of visits from the doctor and pharmacy runs until each of them recovers. 

Yuri has never been more tired in his life. 

But then—then March.

* * *

Yuri isn't home when Sonya goes into labor, he's at the grocery store, and Yuuri calls him, completely frantic over the phone as he informs him that she's in the middle of delivering her first kitten.

He rushes back home, with the doctor on the phone, and his heart in his throat.

When he gets home, Doctor Morozova is already there, and Sonya is already beginning her second delivery.

Nothing is right, she's not supposed to be bleeding this much, and she's not supposed to be in labor this early. She was due _next_ month. Her screams resound through the house, from the early afternoon all the way until the evening she screams. Mikhail and Orel sit in the living room, both with wide, worried eyes, listening to her while Yuuri helps with the first kitten that had been born while Yuri had been away. 

Yuri tries to offer Sonya comfort, he holds her hand, caresses her ears, and wipes away her tears, but nothing helps. The second delivery lasts too long and when the kitten is born, there is no crying.

Only silence. 

The night is long, and Sonya fazes in and out of consciousness, _nothing_ is right. When morning comes, out of the four kittens she was supposed to deliver, only one is alive. Yuri comes out of her room dazed, the morning light burning his eyes. He leans against the wall, and Yuuri comes to stand beside him with the only breathing bundle in his arms.

"The others didn't make it," Yuri says, his voice rough. He places his face in his hands and feels like a failure. 

More than ever before, more intensely than anything else.

Doctor Morazova tells Sonya the news because Yuri is too much of a coward to do so. Sonya cries and cries and cries. And even worse, she rejects the kitten Yuuri tries to hand her. She shakes her head, pushing him away, she sobs, "I don't want it." 

"She's young," The doctor tells him when he relates this to her, "Young, inexperienced, and traumatized. You're going to have to take care of her." 

The next few weeks are absolute torture, everyone tries to help. Yuri is the one that stays with Sonya, feeding her, cleaning her up, and trying to help her through her postpartum depression. He only leaves her side when he has to go out and buy medicine or groceries. Yuuri takes care of the kitten, who they've all unanimously began to refer to as Sofya, while he makes sure everyone gets fed. Orel cleans and helps Yuuri as much as he can and Mikhail feeds the kitten when no one else is available.

The house, as busy as it is, has been overtaken by an oppressing silence. 

Doctor Morozova comes by every other day to check on Sonya, Sofya, and Mikhail. 

In the middle of all this, Yuri gets a call for Orel's transfer. His application had been accepted and he's heading off to a sanctuary city in Siberia. It's the best news Yuri's heard but it's tinged with sadness. 

"I don't want to go..." Orel says when Yuri tells him.

"You have to, you might not get a second chance if you deny it."

"But-but—" 

"Go," Mikhail cuts, "You have to live your life."

"He's right," Yuuri continues as he bottle feeds Sofya, "You have to go."

Orel packs his bags with reluctance and when he goes to say his goodbyes to Sonya she ignores him entirely.

"I'll be waiting for you," He tells her, even though she doesn't even look at him, "In the city, I bet we'll find each other again."

The deer hybrid leaves in the cover of the night, just as he had arrived because his antlers are beginning to grow again. He hugs them all tightly before he gets in the car and waves at them until the car disappears from view.

* * *

A month passes since Orel's left, and Sonya still doesn't get up from the bed. 

They've placed Sofya by her side multiple times but she doesn't seem to want anything to do with her and Yuri doesn't know what else to do.

"This is the dark side of rescue," Otabek tells him, "The one where you're at your wits end because you don't know what decision to take but you know that if you gave up you'd be letting someone die."

Yuri laughs bitterly, "Yeah."

Otabek stays silent on the other line and Yuri sniffs, trying to calm himself down but his voice cracks when he admits. "Mikhail's is getting worse. His treatments aren't working anymore. He's trying to disguise it, but Yuuri has told me he's been throwing up constantly." He presses a hand to his face, "Doctor Morozova says he's going to start deteriorating rapidly in the next four months." He wipes his tears away, "And I can't do anything for him." 

"I'm sorry, Yura," Otabek says sincerely.

"Mmm," Yuri hums, because if he says anything he'll start outright sobbing. 

When Yuri had taken in Mikhail, he'd known it was only going to be for a year because Mikhail wouldn't live longer than that. By the time he'd been rescued, his cancer had already set in too far and the only thing that could be done was give him pain killers until eventually the rest of his body failed him. Green collars were _terminal_. He'd thought he would be prepared, but Sonya's complications had not been something he'd seen coming and now he felt like there was no way he could ever be ready to see Mikhail die. 

When his call with Otabek ends, Yuri gets himself up off the floor and washes his face. He feels like he has no strength left in him, but he walks out of his bathroom with his shoulder squared and begins his day.

Despite everything, there is some joy.

Sofya.

She's a tiny thing but her smiles alleviate the ache in Yuri's chest. She would grow up in a world where she didn't belong to anyone. She wouldn't be _property._ She'd be her own person, free to pursue all of her dreams. The city she would be transferred to, once Sonya got better, would be the same city Orel had gone to. The one that, with the funding of many private investors and donations, had been being built with the intention that hybrids and humans lived as equals. This was what the Hybrid Mobilization Movement was all about. To give hybrids a chance, an opportunity.

To give them freedom.

* * *

In June, as promised, Mikhail's cancer sets in with a vengeance. 

He faints on his way down the stairs, and from there, everything goes downhill. 

He begins to lose all his strength, and he can barely keep any food down. At night, Mikhail begins experiencing seizures, and now Yuri has to stay with _him._ He feels terrible for leaving Sonya on her own but he won't let Mikhail suffer through the long nights on his own. Yuuri's eyes seem to be permanently bloodshot. Both from waking up in the middle of the night to take care of Sofya and because he's crying about Mikhail's condition. 

On a day when Yuri steps out for just a few minutes out of Mikhail's room to go to the restroom when he comes back, he finds Sofya in the room. She's standing at the edge of the bed, looking down at him. 

"How long has he been sick?" She asks, her voice barely audible.

"Since before he came," Yuri tells her. 

She blinks slowly, and asks, "Can I-Can I stay with him?"

"Yeah, I'm sure he'd appreciate it."

It takes some of the weight of Yuri's shoulders because she's there during the night when Mikhail's seizure starts and she always has the trash can ready when he begins throwing up. She runs her fingers through Mikhail's hair and comforts him by petting his ears. Instinct more than anything is making her care for him, but Yuri appreciates the help. 

"Hey," Yuri whispers to Mikhail one night, "Misha, are you awake?"

Mikhail makes a noise but doesn't say anything.

"I've been wondering," Yuri continues, "What do you want for your birthday? It's coming up next week."

Mikhail only breathes heavily, but Yuri waits.

"I want-I want-," He wheezes, "For you-to adopt me."

Yuri's eyes widen, "What?"

"That way," He struggles to say, "I can say I died-I died loved."

Tears gather in Yuri's eyes and all he can say is, "Okay. Okay."

He hugs him close, and the boy's breath evens out as he falls into a heavy sleep.

The next day, Yuri goes out to a mall for the first time in months. He goes into a jewelry store and purchases the choker he'd been eying for years now. He gifts to him that very same day and gives him the first real smile since he became bedridden. He calls Mikhail's caseworker and tells them he's decided to adopt him. The paperwork, because of Mikhail's condition, is ready by the end of the week.

But Mikhail doesn't make it to his birthday.

Both Yuuri and Sonya seems to feel it in the air. That night, while Yuri tells Mikhail about the approval of the adoption papers, both hybrids come into Mikhail's room. Sofya in Sonya's arms and he doesn't have the time to be surprised about it. They look at Yuri with tears in their eyes and Yuri breathes in deeply, his heart aching and his throat tightening.

"Thanks," Mikhail says, forcing his eyes to remain open, "I liked skating."

"Mmmm," Yuri answers, taking hold of his hand.

"In my next life, I'll be a skater as good as you."

"No, Misha," Yuri chokes, "You're going to be ten times _better_." 

Mikhail laughs and his eyes slowly fall shut, Yuri feels the strength leave him and he cannot stop the sob that tears from his throat when his hand slips out of his hold. 

* * *

The funeral is a small affair and it's over quickly. 

So quickly Yuri doesn't even have time to process it. After that first night, he had not been able to produce any more tears and he did everything on autopilot. Now that Sonya was good feeling better and bonding with her child, he submits the updated evaluation doctor Morozova does on her to the agency, and they approve her transfer quickly because she is a mother. She leaves with Sofya in her arms, and she cries when Yuri pats her head and tells her to go. 

His house becomes empty again.

And it's about to get emptier still.

The rescue agency has won the lawsuit against Yuuri's previous owner and the acceptance of his application is now in Yuri's hands. 

"Yuuri," He calls to him, one day while he's making dinner, "Come here, I have something to tell you."

The Shiba Inu hybrid comes to sit in front of him and looks at Yuri expectantly.

"Here," He says, sliding over the piece of paper, "Congratulations."

Yuuri picks the paper up and reads over it quickly, a smile flashed on his lips but then it quickly falls off. 

"What's wrong?" Yuri asks.

"Nothing, just...I've been waiting so long and now..." He trails off and swallows thickly.

"Now what?" 

"I don't...I don't know how to feel about it."

"What are you talking about? It's great news!"

"It is," Yuuri says and then lapses into silence. He fiddles with the paper and chews on his bottom lip. "Is there...is there something you'd like to ask me?"

Yuri quirks his eyebrows and looks up at him in confusion, "What?"

"I've seen it," Yuuri blurts. "Ask me."

Yuri blinks, "What have you seen?"

"The same...the same choker you bought Misha. You bought two. I've seen the other one."

The blond feels like the air cannot reach his lungs. Yuuri was never supposed to see it. He had mulled the thought over and over in his head about asking him to stay with him, but he'd decided to let him go. Let him find his freedom where no one would be able to stop him. Yuuri had been bound to a human for twenty-six long years, it was time for him to be free.

"Let me chose," Yuuri begs as if reading his mind. "Let _me_ choose, don't make the decision for me."

"But Yuuri—"

"Just aks me!" The hybrid almost shouts, "I want to choose!"

Silence falls on them and Yuri wants to refuse but his heart is heavy, and this year has been _torture_ , but more than anything he doesn't _really_ want to let him go. He gets up from the table and goes to his room. He pulls out the choker from his bedside table and takes it with him back downstairs. 

Yuuri is still sitting in his spot, looking down at the dining table with tears running down his cheeks. He jumps when he sees Yuri with the box in his hands and he wipes away his tears. 

"I thought—I thought—" He cries but then stops when Yuri sets the box on the table.

"Yuuri," He begins, and like ripping a bandage off, without any hesitation asks, "Will you stay with me?"

Yuuri blinks rapidly, caught off guard despite knowing what Yuri was going to ask. He doesn't say anything immediately and the paper wrinkles in his hands because of his tight hold on it. He looks at the box and then focuses his eyes back on the acceptance letter and without waiting for anything else, rips it to pieces.

He nods, his brown eyes on Yuri, "I'll stay with you."

* * *

Life returns to some form of normalcy after the painful events that transpired in the past year.

Except Yuri throws himself even harder at rescue work. Otabek had been right, in Russia, there were many hybrids in need of help and Yuri would do everything he could to help them.

With Yuuri at his side.

The coming months are busy for both of them, orphaned two-week-old quintuplet puppies come to them and the sleepless nights are long but rewarding. 

Sonya and Orel send letters every month and eventually, they sent a picture of all of them together with Orel's barely eligible handwriting on the back, _I found her! Don't worry I'll take care of them both!_

* * *

Yuri gets the call about Viktor at exactly two forty-seven in the morning. 

When his phone goes off, he wakes with a start before groaning and fumbling around in the dark trying to locate his phone buried under his blankets. When he finds it, the bright light makes him squint, and he almost ignores the call but _something_ —and even years later he doesn’t know what—makes him pick up. 

“Hello,” He says into the receiver, his voice thick with sleep.

Immediately he hears screaming in the background, and this makes him sit up, suddenly alert. “JUST LEAVE HIM ALONE!” Someone is screaming and then there’s a loud crash followed by growling. By this point, sleep is the last thing on his mind.

“Hello?” He asks again, “What’s going on?”

“H-hi! This is Ekaterina Khoreva, remember me?”

Yuri thinks the name does sound familiar, but under the circumstances, he can’t quite put a face to the name, but he says yes anyway.

“Great—great—ummm, I was looking through your file—“ She’s interrupted by the shouting of men in the background and her voice is drowned out under the commotion, “—so I was wondering—“ It happens again, and really whatever they’re doing, it really must be getting heated because he hears police sirens, “—do you think you can come, and maybe take a look?”

Yuri stares into the dark for a few seconds and sighs, he gets the gist of it. He's not fostering at the moment. So he has the space, the resources, the ability to do whatever it is she’s asking, even though he doesn’t know half of what’s going on. But _something_ in his gut tells him it’s the right thing to do. It was the same something that had told him to buy the choker for Yuuri and Yuri decides to trust this same instinct once again and just go with it. Whatever may come, he’ll deal with it later.

“Text me the address,” He finds himself saying even as he swings the covers off his body and gets out of bed.

“Oh, _thank you_.” Ekaterina says, sounding as though she was on the verge of tears, “Please get here as soon as you can.”

Yuri moves around his room as fast as he can, pulling on the pair of jeans he had worn the day before and a sweater from the clean laundry basket he still hadn’t gotten around to putting away. As he finishes dressing, his phone pings and he takes it, grabbing his wallet and keys on the way out. He makes his way out of the house as quietly as he possibly can and it’s only when he’s settled in his car that he opens the message. He sets up his GPS and as he pulls out of his driveway, it finally dawns on him who Ekaterina Khoreva is. He grips the steering wheel tightly, his heart pounding in his chest, and silently prays that whatever he’s about to walk into won’t kill him.

Later, much later, when he’s done meeting with Ekaterina he sits in his car quietly as hot, angry tears stream down his face. 

_Fuck_ , he thinks, _humans really are the scum of the earth._

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all again for reading!  
> see you next time!


	4. only a memory remains

Viktor isn't immediately released to him, instead, he's taken to a rehabilitation facility that specialized in delicate cases similar to his. Yuri visits him every two days because Viktor had taken a hyper fixated liking to him since the moment they met. "If you visit me often," He had told Yuri on the first day, "I promise I won't kill them." He'd said it so nicely, smiling in fact, that Yuri had almost thought he was joking but Viktor's eyes were ice blue and dead, and he knew better than to take his words lightly. 

For two months, Yuri visits him, and when Viktor realizes that Yuri won't abandon him, he becomes quite friendly with the staff. Though Yuri still can't tell if it's an act or if he actually likes the humans he's interacting with. While in the facility, Viktor wears the red collar of an aggressive type hybrid, but Yuri hopes that they can lower him to purple so he can take him home. He doubts Viktor will ever manage to be classified as a blue-collar but purple is good enough to have him as a 'pet' and it'll keep him from being euthanized. 

But even getting him to purple is going to be an _ordeal_. For starters, Viktor has no records, no certificate of purchase or of birth, and no medical history. None that would be acceptable to use anyway. He's six foot three and _dangerous._ Yuri had seen the pictures of what he was capable of. Hell, if Viktor hadn't liked him, Yuri would already be dead. 

On the night that Ekaterina had called him, Yuri had arrived at an abandoned factory fifty minutes away from his home but he'd managed to make it there in thirty. Despite it being completely isolated there was so much chaos going on that he had a hard time finding the caseworker. There were police officers and firefighters almost everywhere he looked as they finished putting out the fire that had ignited in the middle of the night. 

There had been close to fifty hybrids found inside and they ranged from bunnies to foxes, to dogs, and a few unspecified breeds. All of them were in terrible conditions and starving. Some of the larger hybrids had been tranquilized and were strapped to gurneys while the smaller ones huddled together, their eyes blown wide in fear. Yuri waded through the crowd silently, observing everything carefully. 

When he finally found Ekaterina, she was talking with the police captain, as they looked over a blueprint of the factory. 

"We've searched here, here, and all of this," The captain was telling her, "But there are some underground rooms that aren't documented...my guess is that there are other hybrids there too. I have two officers willing to go down there right now. "

"I'll see if there are any of my volunteers willing to accompany them."

"Well, we wouldn't really recommend-"

"Don't be stubborn! We have to check before the building starts collapsing."

"Fine, fine, but make it quick we only have thirty minutes...tops."

Having caught the end of the conversation, Yuri was one of the first that volunteered. He'd been given a syringe filled with a tranquilizer just in case they found any rabid hybrids. Looking back, it had been an absolutely terrible decision to make, especially because they didn't know what they were going to find down there, but at the time, neither Yuri nor anyone else had been thinking logically. They were too pressed for time. 

Fortunately, it had been Yuri that found him.

Or rather, Viktor found _him._

He'd pounced out the dark, knocking Yuri off his feet and onto his back, and Viktor's hand had wrapped tightly around his neck. As the others shouted somewhere around him, for split-seconds Yuri had thought that was it. He was going to die there and he would never see Yuuri again. Viktor had looked wild, his face dirty, the chain around his neck bloodied, and his long silver hair matted with dirt, grime, and feces. For some reason though, just as he was about to finish crushing his windpipe, Viktor froze. 

He blinked down at him as he picked up Yuri's scent in the air and Yuri had taken this lapse to inject the syringe into Viktor's thigh. 

The sedative took a few seconds to work, and Yuri had no doubt that was all the time Viktor needed to tear off his jugular, but instead, Viktor's hold slackened as he swayed above him and fell on top of him. And just as he lost consciousness, right against his ear, Yuri swore he heard him murmur, "Yura, it's _you_."

* * *

Yuri still takes Yuuri to the rink often in the wintertime.

It's _their_ time. 

Yuuri is very happy with the arrangement and Yuri likes to see him smiling. They will skate around the rink side by side and sometimes Yuuri will be brave and take hold of Yuri's hand. 

It's during one of these times that Yuri tells him about the new foster they're getting.

"He's...a Siberian husky," Yuri begins, squeezing Yuuri's hand, "His name is Viktor and he's been at a rehab facility for the past two months. I hadn't been able to tell you about him because it was still unclear if we'd get him or not."

"Is he the one you visit?"

"Yeah, he's a red collar right now and we had to make sure he listens to me and that he's comfortable with being around people."

"Mmm," Yuuri nods understandably, "And what about other hybrids?"

"Well, right now he hasn't been allowed to interact with them. He got sick as soon as they brought him in but he'll be allowed to next week. After that, if the assessments show that he's cleared...he'll come home with me." 

"I hope he gets better soon," Yuuri says, "I'm sure he doesn't want to be there."

"Yeah..." Yuri responds trailing off. 

They continue skating quietly for a few moments before Yuri asks, "Are you...okay with it?"

Yuuri looks at him and after a pause smiles, "Sure, I don't see why not?"

"We haven't really had another adult hybrid in a while...so I just...want to make sure it's fine with you."

"I don't mind. As long as we keep our time together."

Yuri smiles, bumping his shoulder, "Of course, _you're_ the one who's mine."

Yuuri flushes pink, from his ears down to his neck, and clears his throat. He scratches his cheek, "Then I really don't have a problem with it."

The idea that Yuuri is 'his' had been a joke, in the beginning, more of a way of teasing than actually meaning it, but Yuri had begun to notice that Yuuri didn't mind it at all and instead seemed to revel in the attention of it. He often wondered if maybe he should stop saying things like that but then he remembered that Yuuri had chosen him, if anything, it was the other way around and Yuri was the one who belonged to _him_. So in the end, the right thing to say probably is that they belonged to each other. 

* * *

It takes close to four months, but Viktor is finally released from the rehabilitation facility and he's able to go home with Yuri. 

Since he had the conversation with Yuuri, he felt really confident in bringing Viktor home, and Yuri trusted his decision because Yuuri had always been friendly and managed to get along with everyone.

But...maybe he should have thought about it more.

At first, it's fine. 

“This is Viktor,” He remembers telling Yuuri when he’d brought him home, “Thirty-eight years old,” Viktor had nodded along, extending his hand to Yuuri, “I hope you can help him settle in.”

They had shaken hands and to Yuri, it seemed like everything was going to go smoothly. Viktor explores the house from top to bottom with Yuuri giving him a detailed tour. Viktor nods along half paying attention and half ignoring him. Yuuri's smile becomes more and more strained as the tour goes on but he holds on because Yuuri knows that this is how most hybrids are when they first get here.

The first few weeks of Viktor staying with them, while they aren't the best of friends, they tolerated each other. 

Viktor very quickly becomes comfortable at home and this may be why Yuuri begins to dislike him. It starts off with Viktor accidentally breaking Yuuri’s things, Yuri should have seen this problem coming. Viktor, like most dog hybrids, likes chew toys, but the problem is his bite is stronger and he breaks the toys by clamping down on them _once_ and Yuuri looks horrified, “Why do you bite down so _hard_?” 

Viktor only shrugs, throwing the broken toys on the floor, “Buy better ones.”

“I don’t have money!” 

“But Yura does, don’t you Yura?” He looks at Yuri with an innocent-looking smile, “You’ll buy us new ones, won't you?”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it Katsudon, I can buy each of you new toys.”

Yuuri doesn’t look at all appeased and he huffs angrily as he picks up the toys in his hands dejectedly. He stomps out of the living room and Yuri sees Viktor’s innocent smile turn victorious and Yuri shakes his head and warns, “Don’t do it again.”

“But I didn’t do it on purpose!” Viktor exclaims, and he sticks his lower lip out, “You know that…”

Yuri sighs, rubbing his forehead, “I know…but don't...provoke him.”

"I'm not!" Viktor defends himself, "He just gets angry too easily." 

_No, that's not true_ , Yuri wants to say but before he can  Viktor comes to sit beside him and without waiting for permission lays his head on Yuri’s lap.

"Pet me," He commands. 

And here was another difference, where Yuuri had been shy, Viktor was _bold._ He knew exactly what wanted and didn't shy away from demanding it. In a way, it was nice that Yuri didn't have to walk on eggshells with him but the problems with Yuuri keep piling up. Viktor left the dishes in the sink, his dirty clothes on the floor, he doesn’t help with any of the chores, he takes forever in the bathroom, and his long hair clogs up the drain. In the mornings Yuuri’s always getting on to him about it and complaining.

It comes to a point where Yuri has to talk to him about it, and Viktor looks at him in confusion, “But that’s why he’s here for.” 

Yuuri flushes _red_ , “I am _not_ your _maid!_ ”

"Oh you're not?" The husky hybrid asks in mock surprise.

Yuuri looks so affronted he doesn't know how to respond and he opens and closes his mouth in indignation. This causes Viktor to let out a condescending snicker.

"Viktor," Yuri snaps, his patience running thin, " _Stop it_."

"But-"

"But _nothing_. If you want to stay here you have to do your part."

Viktor pouts, but nonetheless quickly agrees, "Fine. _Fine._ I'll be nicer to the piggy."

"Go shower," Yuri commands. "Thirty minutes."

"But I said I was going to be nice!"

"You can't say that and then immediately insult him!"

"But it's true! Look how chunky he is" He motions to all of Yuuri, "He's a piggy!"

" _Viktor_!"

"Fine! Okay! I'm going." 

He stands up and without another word turns and makes his way upstairs. It leaves Yuri and Yuuri in silence.

"Don't listen to what he says," He tells Yuuri after minutes pass and Yuuri still looks on the verge of tears. "He's just...insensitive."

The hybrid sniffs and he angrily asks, "Why's he so-so-urgh!" 

"Infuriating? Annoying? Conceited?" Yuri fills in, "I have no idea."

"I've been trying to be nice," Yuuri tells him, "But he's just so awful! All the time! For no reason!"

Yuri lets out a long sigh, "I'll talk to him and assign him his chores clearly." He lets his head fall into his hands, "Sorry I let it get it so out of hand."

The Shiba Inu shakes his head, "No...I should've talked to you sooner."

After this conversation, as promised Yuri makes sure to outline every single thing Viktor is expected to do around the house. And despite all the grumbling and complaining, he does as he's asked. 

* * *

When Yuri wakes up, he instantly notices two things, one, he's burning up, and the second, he can't breathe. 

These two things however are attributed to one person, and that's Viktor.

"What the fuck are you _doing?_ " He asks, trying to pull away from him.

Viktor doesn't answer and instead only nuzzles his face to the back of Yuri's head. 

"Viktor!" He hisses, "Wake up!"

He groans, finally shifting a bit, loosening his hold on Yuri just a bit, and the blond tries to pull away but Viktor doesn't let him go. He has Yuri pressed up against his chest and his arms are wrapped around his stomach. 

"Viktor!" He hisses again, as he tries to wiggle away, "Let me go you jackass!"

The hybrid doesn't seem to react to Yuri's voice and instead begins to squeeze him even tighter. Getting fed up, Yuri reaches back and tries slapping him in the face, "Wake up! Wake up!"

Finally, this manages to stir Viktor from his deep slumber and he whines, "Stop it."

"Let me go and I will!" Yuri snaps. 

The hybrid pulls away, unwinding his arms from Yuri, and the blond rolls away from him as he tries to catch his breath. 

When his breathing returns to normal Yuri finally asks, "What the fuck are you doing in my room?"

Viktor rubs the sleep out of his eyes and simply explains, "Nightmare."

"That's what you said last time too!"

The hybrid buries his face in the pillow, "I had one again."

Despite just waking up, Viktor doesn't look like he's rested at all, and there are deep-set bags under his eyes so Yuri believes him.

"The factory?"

Viktor shakes his head, "The camp."

Yuri clicks his mouth shut. 

A silence falls on them, and Yuri notices that there's barely any light coming in through his window so it still must be very early in the morning. He runs a hand through his hair and then rubs the remaining sleepiness out of his face. He turns to Viktor, who has his eyes closed and a pained grimace on his face. He scoots closer and presses his fingers to his forehead, trying to make his face relax. 

Viktor let him do as he pleases for a few minutes, then he opens his eyes, and just stares at Yuri while he continues massaging his head. 

"You still don't remember me?" He asks in a quiet murmur.

Yuri's brows quirk, Viktor hadn't asked him this since the first time he'd visited him at the rehab facility. 

He shakes his head and tells him, "I don't."

He looks a bit dejected but doesn't try to talk to him about it like he had before. 

Yuri pulls his hand away and they lay next to each other for a long while. 

This hasn't been the first time Viktor has snuck into Yuri's room in the middle of the night, and unfortunately for Yuri, it won't be the last. In fact, as the days pass Viktor wakes up beside him with more and more frequency. Yuri shouldn't allow it but Viktor sleeps better when he stays with Yuri and that means he's nicer to Yuuri and doesn't actively try to spite him.

In fact, Yuri thinks they're getting along quite nicely now. 

They might even like each other more than he expected. 

The other day he had walked into a scene he didn't quite know what to make of yet. Viktor was on his back, with Yuuri's thighs on either side of him, as they stared intently into each other's eyes and when Yuri cleared his throat, Yuuri had looked up and sprung off Viktor like he was a plague. 

"I see you guys are getting along well," He'd teased. 

"Umm-umm," Yuuri had stuttered standing off to the side as Viktor got up from the floor and dusted himself off. "N-no."

"I'm sad to hear you say that piggy," The husky hybrid had said, a strange look crossing his features, "You're hurting my feelings."

Yuuri swallowed thickly, his face a little flushed, looking at Yuri as if he wanted to explain something but Yuri had been quicker and he held up the food he'd picked up from the grocery store, "Let's make Katsudon!"

If they liked each other like _that,_ Yuri would make sure to support them though he honestly felt a bit strange about it. 

The more the days passed, the more Yuri was convinced that _something more_ was going on between them. There was a growing tension in the air made the hairs on the back of Yuri's neck stand on end and when he looked at the calendar he realized why. Yuuri's rut was quickly approaching.

 _I wonder if they'll spend it together,_ Yuri mulled to himself. He'd read that hybrids that were attracted to each other would sometimes choose to spend their ruts together and well...mate. 

He observes them closely when he can, as they size each other up when they think he's not paying attention. Their eyes linger as they dance around each other in an appraising way. As if they were two beings waiting to collide. Yuri concludes, that yes, they would definitely be tearing each other's clothes off when Yuuri's rut finally hit. He thinks the best thing to do is prepare. And be happy for them.

Or something.

So on an afternoon like any other, he decides that he's going to the supermarket to stock up on food and maybe buy some earplugs. Both Yuuri and Viktor would be indisposed for a week and Yuri would have to keep them both fed and hydrated so he makes sure to buy enough to last the whole week. 

When he arrives home, it's already dark and the lights of the living room are on. He turns off his car and grabs all the groceries he can carry before making his way inside. The house is very still and quiet. He goes back out and brings the rest of the things he bought in and when he's beginning to put everything away he hears a crash from upstairs. He stops what he's doing and listens. 

Viktor is laughing. 

Yuri leaves alone what he's doing and calls out from the bottom of the stairs, "Viktor? Yuuri?"

But they don't seem to hear him, he has a gnawing feeling in his gut, and he wonders if maybe they're...busy. 

That's when he hears Yuuri growl, literally growl, "You're a piece of _shit!_ "

Viktor laughs again but he doesn't sound at all amused. Yuri's stomach sinks, realization settling in. He's so fucking _stupid_. He rushes up the stairs, trying to locate where they are.

"Oh, I'm the piece of shit!" He hears the husky hybrid mocks cruelly, "You just can't admit it, can you? You're a coward." He laughs again, in that cold, cruel way of his, "You've been here for five years yet you never took your chance but now I'm here and you want to pretend he belongs to you!"

"He does!" Yuuri shouts, angry in a way Yuri's never heard him. "He's mine! Don't you touch him again!"

The sound of their argument is coming from Yuri's room and he rushes down the hallway. 

When he pulls the door open, Yuuri's ears are standing straight up, his tail stiff, and his posture wound ready to attack the person he thought was trespassing on his territory. 

"Yuuri!" He calls out, but the hybrid isn't focusing on him, his attention is entirely on Viktor. They're standing close together, as Yuuri looks up at Viktor in absolute loathing.

Viktor's next words are what break everything apart, "But I will," He says quietly, so quietly Yuri can barely hear him, "I'll be sure to take care of him like you never could. I'll have him _begging_ for it." 

Yuri can't reach them in time, Yuuri bares his teeth, and when he swings, Viktor is ready to meet him halfway.

"STOP!" Yuri screams at them, "STOP!"

But they are beyond being able to listen to the sound of Yuri's voice. 

They trade blows viciously, both unwilling to back down, and somewhere along the way, Viktor loses his balance and Yuuri slams him against the floor. 

Yuri tries to pull Yuuri off but the hybrids have a firm hold on each other and they're still swinging. 

He has to get them to stop, he _has_ to or else-

Using his entire weight, he grabs Yuuri by the neck and pushes him off Viktor and they fall into a heap of limps on the floor. Viktor rolls away, cradling his head in his arms, as he curls up into a fetal position. 

The Shiba Inu is still struggling in his hold and one of his stray fists hits Yuri right in the face. 

" _Motherfucker,_ " Yuri hisses in pain but doesn't let him go. "YUURI, Stop! Stop! It's me!" He shakes him, trying to pull him out of whatever single-minded trance he's in as he observes Viktor's still form on the floor a few feet away and realizes that he has to get Yuuri out of here. He tries to stand up, pulling Yuuri up with him, "Come on, come on!" 

Yuuri finally seems to realize that Yuri's the one he's struggling against and he whimpers, "Yuri! I'm sorry I-I-"

"I need you to go to your room," Yuri quickly tells him, not bothering to listen to his apology and keeping his eyes on Viktor. The husky hybrid digs his fingers into his hair and presses his forehead to the ground.

"But I-I-"

Viktor lets out a snarl and Yuri's heart pounds his ears. He looks at Yuuri, who's still looking at him on the verge of tears. 

"I need you," He begins quietly, "To go to your room."

Yuuri seems to want to argue but Yuri is already thinking about how he's going to cross the room to his nightstand. 

"I-"

"Yuuri. Room. Now." 

The hybrids mouth clicks shut and he looks at Viktor who's rocking back and forth on the floor as he digs his nails into his skin. Yuri wants to apologize for lying to him, but now is not the time to be thinking about his mistakes. Those would have to be fixed later. When he managed to calm Viktor down.

With one last desperate look at him, Yuuri finally leaves. 

When it's only the two of them alone, Yuri tentatively asks, "Viktor?"

He doesn't answer him and Yuri slowly moves around the room, trying to get as close to where he keeps the tranquilizers before Viktor reacts. 

"Viktor?" He asks again, but there is still no response.

He steps around him, at no moment giving him his back. Yuri reaches his hand back, fumbling around until he touches the drawer and pulls it open. The hybrid on the floor begins breathing heavily, one of his hand curling into a fist, and Yuri barely manages to grab the tube and get the syringe of the tranquilizer uncapped before Viktor springs to his feet and, like a mirror of their first meeting, grabs him by the neck. 

This time though, Yuri isn't panicking and he knows that despite the bruises that will be there tomorrow Viktor won't hurt him. 

Viktor's entire body is shaking and Yuri tells him, as he presses the syringe to his skin, "I finally remembered." The hybrid blinks rapidly, his vision clearing, and Yuri repeats as his body fell to the floor, "I remember you now." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading!  
> also, the last chapter might come out a little later than usual bc this is my last week of school and I have some stuff I need to focus on finishing.


	5. the sun rises to bring you back to me

“Listen to me, Yura,” His grandfather said, holding his cheek, “Forget about Viktor.”

“But why?” Yuri asked, tears filling his eyes. “He said he’d stay with me. He _promised!_ ”

His grandfather looked away from him, his own eyes moist, “I know, but he can’t be with us anymore. It’s not because he doesn’t want to but because he _can’t_.” He pulls Yuri close, cradling his tiny head in one of his hands, “Promise me you will forget about him, Yurochka. He’ll be—he’ll be fine. You don’t have to worry about him. But please—never ask about him again.” He pulls away, “Do you understand me?”

Yuri shakes his head, “ _No! NO!_ You have to let me see him! Why can’t I? VITYA! _”_ He screams, wiggling out his grandfather’s hold but just when he’s about to run off to find Viktor in the wreckage, his grandfather scoops him up in his arms. “VITYA! Let me go! Dedushka!” 

Yuri doesn’t want to hurt him but his grandfather’s arms are strong and solid around him, and he kicks his feet, struggling and crying, “Let me go!” 

“I’m sorry.” Nikolai says, “I’m sorry.”

“Control that child!” Someone shouts and Yuri can’t make out who. There are cold tears streaming down his face now, and he digs his nails into his grandfather's coat, trying to uselessly remove his arms from around his torso. 

Just then, in between his frantic movements, he sees Viktor. 

But he freezes, his heart almost falling out of his chest. The older boy is being dragged by two men, his hair coated in blood, and when they throw him on the ground he doesn’t move. “ _Vitya._ ” He whispers in horror. “Why—why—why did they—“

His grandfather covers his eyes, shielding him with his body, and he screams again, “LET ME GO!” 

“Take him to the chopper,” His grandfather is instructed. “We’re putting these _mutts_ down.”

“NO!” Yuri shouts, “NO!” 

But no one listens, the men in uniform don’t stop, and they haven't even reached the helicopter when Yuri hears the first shot ring out. 

“Stop,” He whispers to anyone that will listen, “Please make them stop!” 

He’s handed off to someone else just as five more shots pierce the air. Yuri can’t breathe, he feels like he’s going to die. _Vitya,_ he thinks helplessly, _Vitya! Vitya!_

When the chopper is taking off, they finally let Yuri go, and he scrambles around until he has his face pressed to the window. He can’t see anything because of the smoke that’s rising up. He stares with wide eyes at the reservation that’s on fire. He feels his legs give out under him and he hugs himself.

“Yura,” His grandfather tries to say.

“I _hate you._ ” He says through gritted teeth, he raises his tear-stained face to look at the man whom he’s always loved until now, and with a heart so filled with pain he spits out again, “ _I hate you!”_

When they arrive back at Saint Petersburg a light has gone out inside Yuri. He doesn’t speak for a long time, and when the doctors evaluate him they tell his parents that he’s in shock. For two months he’s admitted into a psychiatric hospital to monitor him. His grandfather is not allowed to see him until he’s discharged.  Eventually, he is deemed healthy enough to go back home and return to his normal life. Many people notice that he is not the same child anymore. Nikolai especially notices how his grandson is no longer the Yuri he used to know and he can’t help the guilt that crushes him. Yuri doesn’t ask any more questions.

“Yura,” He says one day when Yuri has returned back from school, “I’m sorry.” 

Yuri quirks an eyebrow, “About what?”

Nikolai can barely say the name, “Viktor.”

Yuri tilts his head in confusion and wrinkles his forehead, “Who is Viktor?”

* * *

Yuuri doesn’t leave his room for days after the fight. Viktor hasn’t left Yuri’s bed either. The house is quiet and Yuri sits in the living room, his failures more pronounced than ever. Bringing Viktor home had been a mistake, he realizes that now. But now that he remembers everything, there’s no way he can give him up and he doesn’t know how Yuuri will react to that. 

There are other things he wants to know too, like how Viktor ended up at the factory. He was supposed to be dea—gone. His memories are still shuffled around but he knows that Viktor was at the reservation when everything had happened. 

_Well,_ Yuri tells himself, _you should start with the truth first._

Yuri marks off the days in the calendar and when the week is up, and Yuuri’s rut has ended, Yuuri still doesn’t leave his room. 

“Yuuri,” He tells him through the door, “I left your food in the tray.”

He receives no response and he sighs, feeling defeated. 

He takes Viktor food too and he eats it only if Yuri stays with him. 

“I’m sorry,” Viktor tells him, eventually, when days have passed.

“It’s not your fault,” Yuri says.

“It’s not yours either.”

Yuri bites the inside of his cheek, shaking his head. 

“If you say it’s my fault,” Viktor says, his voice uncaring, “You can send me back.”

“I’m not sending you back,” Yuri snaps.

“He’s not going to want me here. _I_ don’t want me here.” 

Yuri clenches his fists, “If you go back you die.”

“And if I stay I hurt you.”

“Shut up,” Yuri tells him, “Just shut up.”

Viktor doesn’t argue, and instead looks up at the ceiling, and then with defeat says, “I want to go back.”

“Didn’t you hear me? I said shut up. You don’t know what you want.”

Viktor quietly mumbles, “I want to go home.”

“You are home.”

“No. This is not home.”

“There is nothing there anymore,” Yuri says, his voice cracking. “There is no home for you to return to.”

Viktor stays quiet and then he says, “Then I want to go with Ivan.”

“Shut the _fuck_ up!” Yuri shouts, his heart seizing in his throat, “You _can’t!_ I won’t allow it!”

Viktor doesn’t move a muscle, he closes his eyes and wistfully says, “I want to be with Mira and Anna and Igor and Armand. I want to go with them.”

Yuri bites his tongue until he draws blood and without another word, he storms out of the room. He slams the door behind him, hoping to convey to Viktor how pissed he really is. 

He sits at the kitchen table with his face in his hands, trying to relieve the tension he’s felt in his forehead for an entire year now—amplified tenfold by what’s transpired in the last week. He wipes his eyes with his palms and cleans his runny nose with his shirt. He feels like he’s been stretched too thin. It’s been a rough year and he hadn’t even processed _those_ things. He should have given himself space and taken time off after Misha and Sonya left. He shouldn’t have ignored the feelings of hopelessness that had buried themselves into his soul. He can’t save others…if he isn’t able to save himself. 

But the thought that keeps bringing him back is that if he _had_ taken time off then he would have never found Viktor again. It eats Yuri up inside thinking about how what would have happened if he hadn’t been at the factory at that specific moment and if Viktor hadn’t recognized him.

But it was time to stop running away. He had hurt enough people already. 

The last light of the day is beginning to fade and he sits still, as the kitchen slowly becomes flooded in darkness. That awful silence is oppressing him again and he stands, the chair screeching against the floor, and makes his way to his grandfather's study.  When Yuri had inherited the house, he had still been skating so he never took the time or effort to go through the boxes of papers that were in the closet. Then he had his accident and everything that followed after and in the end he forgot all about their existence. It was only now that both Viktor and Yuuri refused to leave their rooms that he found the time to do it. 

He had been shocked to find his grandfather's detailed notes about the reservation and how much food he took regularly. He found pictures and short stories about the hybrids he took care of, and he found…Viktor’s collar. 

Yuri had looked at it for a long time, the fuzzy, misplaced memories falling into place. If he closed his eyes and focused, he could smell the snow and smoke mingling together in the air, he could hear the shots resounding in his blood, he could hear Ivan’s snarls and Mira’s screams, he could hear the triplets crying, and he could feel Viktor’s frantic pulse right against his ear. 

He shakes his head, swallowing a painful knot in his throat. He sat on the desk chair, leaning his head back and trying to find his balance. He breathes in deeply, inhaling and exhaling in a steady rhythm until he feels like he’s calmer. Eventually, without his realization, he must fall asleep because the next thing he knows he’s looking up at Yuuri’s worried face. 

“Yuuri,” He breathes, and the hybrid steps back.

“Your neck is going to hurt if you sleep like that,” Yuuri mumbles, keeping his distance. 

Yuri sits straight and asks, “Yeah…what are you doing here?”

The hybrid looks away, “I was worried…I didn’t hear you.”

“Ah,” Yuri nods, and then looks at his watch, “It’s late. You should probably go to bed.”

Yuuri’s upper lip twitches, like he’s trying to figure out what to say, eventually he settles on, “I think I’ve slept enough.”

“Oh,” Yuri lamely says, “Well, then…did you want dinner?”

He sakes his head, standing tensely and clenching his fists, the finally he blurts, “Are you going to send me to the city?”

Yuri looks at him for a moment, wondering where he got that idea, “I…I—no? Unless…you want to go?”

“I don’t!” Yuuri immediately answers, “But I thought—since— _he’s_ here now.”

“No, Yuuri, no,” The blond covers his face with his hand, “I don’t want to give you up.” He presses his lips together, “I don’t want to give either of you up.”

Yuuri seems to shift nervously on his feet as if plagued by indecision and anger. "He's awful," Yuuri says, "You should be wanting to get rid of him."

The blond shakes his head, "No...I—"

“Why?” Yuuri interrupts, his voice slowly rising, “ _I_ have been with you longer! You said-said I was that I was the one that you adopted! That things wouldn’t change when he came! So why is he taking—why is taking you away from me? It’s not fair! Not fair that he can just come here and—and steal you away!”He sucks in a breath as if he had something he wasn’t supposed to.

Yuri stares at him a bit helplessly, unable to understand the intensity of Yuuri’s feelings, “But he’s not taking me away?”

Yuuri shakes his head forcefully, “You don’t understand! I— I love you!” He finally admits, his chest heaving, “I love you…with all my human heart. More than just my owner, more than a person that took me in. I—” He chokes on his tears, “—More—I love—“ 

The blond stares at him wide-eyed, feeling thoroughly floored, “I—I never…realized…”

He had always thought that Yuuri's affection had been because of gratitude and had never allowed himself to think otherwise.  Yuuri’s face contorts in pain, and Yuri wants to comfort him, wants to reassure him that he—

The hybrid shakes his head, “I never wanted you to know…I always thought…that I would be fine with the way things were—that I could live with you never realizing as long as I got to stay with you—as long as I was here with you. It didn’t matter.” Then his voice turns bitter and hurt, “But then he came and he—he took your attention so easily. Everything…everything! It’s always Viktor this and Viktor that! And I hate it!” He looks at Yuri with watery eyes, “Why did he have to come and ruin everything?”

Yuri remains frozen for a moment but Yuuri is looking at him with questioning eyes. In this spam of silence, a million and one things go through Yuri’s mind. But the most prevailing thought is: _I don’t want to lose you._

“Yuuri,” He quietly starts, “I am _so_ sorry. Sorry that I made you feel like this…this was somehow a competition for my affection.” He stands from his spot in the chair, feeling finally returning to his legs and making them function, “I’m sorry I neglected you. I fucked up.” He comes to stand in front of Yuuri and he looks up at him, “You have every right to be angry at me. I have been a selfish asshole.” He steps even closer, so close that there’s barely any space between them, “I don’t deserve your love…and yet,” He reaches to grab his hand, “I would definitely die without it.” He brings it up to his face, pressing his palm to his cheek, “You saved me and you continue to save me every day. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” 

“You-you’re so unfair—“ Yuuri says, his voice choking, but he closes the gap between them, wrapping his arms around Yuri and holding him tightly, “Don’t say you’ll die…” 

“It’s true though,” Yuri says against his shoulder, “I would die without you.” He can feel Yuuri’s heart beating wildly against his own. “I don’t want to lose you.”

They stay like that for a long time, so long that their heartbeats sync up eventually until they’re both a steady rhythm in their chests.

Later, when their emotions are done overflowing in their chests, Yuri and Yuuri sit down together on the living room couch. The blond holds on tightly to Yuuri's hand, fearing that if he were to let go for a second he'd lose him forever. 

Yuuri, for his part, rests his head on Yuri's blond hair, "You're not going to lose me," He belatedly reassures him. "I don't—I don't think I can live without you either."

Yuri huffs out a humorless laugh, "You...are too good for me." 

"But I want to know..." Yuuri says, "Why...why—why you won't let him just...go?" He finishes his request as if it were a question and Yuri nods against his shoulder. 

"Yuuri," Yuri mumbles, "I...have been—" He takes in a steadying breath and begins, “I—“ He stops, but then starts again after a moment, “I have not been entirely honest with you. In my head, I thought it would be better...but it seems I only managed to fucked things up royally.” He pulls a bit away so he can see Yuuri. "But part of it is because I couldn't remember..." 

Yuuri looks down at him curiously, “What is it?”

Yuri mumbles, “It’s a long story.” And then he  finally admits what’s been weight him down, “To begin with…Viktor is not a husky hybrid. He can pass as one but…when we found him…he had a black collar.”

Yuuri looks at him with wide eyes, “Black? As in—“

“Yes. A military-grade hybrid. He should have been killed on sight the night we found him. Under the current Hybrid Protection Act, he’s classified as too dangerous for society. But—I—he recognized me…and I—I don’t know why but I couldn’t just…abandon him.” He stops and closes his eyes, confessing something he’s been holding on to silently in his heart, “When Misha and the kittens died…I swore to myself that I would always do whatever it took to save a hybrid. It didn’t matter the circumstances…I swore to myself that I would save all the hybrids I could. So when Ekaterina told me that Viktor wasn’t—wasn’t a hybrid that was eligible for fostering I argued with her about it. I asked her to lie, to make it seem like he was just a dog hybrid with a red collar rather than a black one. It took everything I had to convince her to give me a chance with him because he _recognized_ me. I didn’t know from where but he knew who I was and I couldn’t—I couldn’t just let them put him down.” 

“And I knew—fuck I _knew_ what he had done. But more than that I knew what they had done to _him._ The military is filled with bastards that think all hybrids are soulless dogs that they can do anything they want to.” Yuri pauses, and swallows thickly, then asks, “Do you know what snuff films are Katsudon?”

The hybrid blinks and shakes his head, “Not…not really.”

“They’re…videos where people pay to see someone get tortured or killed.” Yuri presses his hands to his face as if that could erase the files he had seen, “He was put in a cage and fuck— _fuck—_ they used to make them fight. And he—he had to kill the others to survive.” He forcefully wipes his tears angrily, “One of them was his older brother.” 

Yuuri sits in horrified silence, and Yuri has to choke down his frustration to continue, “I don’t how he ended up at the factory…but my guess is that someone paid enough money to buy him from the military.” Yuri looks at Yuuri with wide eyes, “I couldn’t leave him. I couldn’t. I can’t. I _won’t._ ” 

A heavy, oppressing silence envelops them and neither says anything to break it. 

Eventually, Yuuri asks, “What…what type of hybrid…is he?”

Yuri’s smile is a little lopsided, and barely there, “Viktor is a wolf. A tundra wolf.”

Yuuri’s mouth falls open, and his eyebrows raise, “I—I—" He pauses, “Well. I guess I can see why he was so…disagreeable.”

Yuri snorts, “That’s…a very nice way to put it.” Then he sniffs, wiping his nose in his shirt, “He’s very…territorial. Wolfs in general have a very strict hierarchy and he sees you as someone that’s trying to take his place…” He bites his lip, “I tried to pay more attention to him so he would be nicer to you…but in the end that backfired.”

“Oh,” Yuuri says, solemnly. 

Yuri reaches out to grab his hand, “My grandfather used to be involved in rescue work before I was even born,” Yuri explains to Yuuri, “It was illegal…of course. But he and some others from the organization he belonged to would socialize black collared hybrids and forge papers for them, usually, it was only the younger ones that would get adopted.”

* * *

In the distance, he hears the distinct sound of a chopper’s swirling blades, his ear twitches, and before he knows it, Ivan has body-slammed him to the snow. He releases a pained groan, and he hears Ivan say, “You get distracted too easily.”

Viktor struggles in vain, the older’s hold is absolutely solid, he taps his shoulder uselessly, “So you’ve said many times.”

Ivan shakes his head and lets him go. Viktor sits up and stands, brushing the snow off his clothes. Ivan, in the meantime, has launched into a lecture, one he’s half paying attention to because this isn’t the first time his brother has given it.

“Are you listening to me?” Ivan asks, and Viktor nods.

“So what did I just say?” He asks, crossing his arms.

Viktor gives a smile, “That I get distracted too easily?”

His older brother gives a long-suffering sigh, “You need to be _serious._ If there ever comes a time when I am not here to defend—“

“—It’s not like you go anywhere,” Viktor cuts as he signals at the wilderness all around him, “It’s not like _any_ of us go anywhere.”

“That’s not the point! You need to be prepared!”

“I’m going back to camp,” Viktor says with exasperation and then with excitement, “I hear the chopper. Nikolai’s coming!” Before his brother can tell him anything else he takes off running.

“VIKTOR!” He hears him shout after him, “WAIT!”

“LAST ONE THERE HAS TO START THE FIRE TONIGHT!” He shouts back leaving the clearing and entering the forest. His breath comes out in white puffs and the cold makes his lungs burn, but he doesn’t slow down. Despite the head start he had, he can feel his brother right behind him, close enough to feel his presence nipping right at his heels. He runs faster but just when he sees the rising smoke of the camp in the distance, he sees his brother pass him right up. 

“ARGH!” He screams in frustration, trying to keep up with him. He extends his hand, trying to catch Ivan by the back of his parka but his brother seems to speed up, leaving Viktor behind to stare at his back, _No,_ he thinks, _he can’t win!_

He forces himself to use the last bit of energy he has to sprint as fast as he can, and manages to touch his brother’s hood, but he can’t get a full hold of it, so with a cry he pounces, jumping on his back and making both of them topple to the floor. He laughs as they both struggle in the snow.

“You little _cheat_!” Ivan exclaims, trying to keep him down, but this time Viktor manages to get loose. He stands up and he’s about to take off running again but Ivan grabs his foot and Viktor falls face-first on the snow. 

They continue wrestling, Viktor using all the strength he has to push him off but his brother is stronger, and he catches him in a headlock. 

“What are you both doing?” A feminine voice asks, and they both freeze. Brown boots made of deer hide stand just a few feet away. They both look up. 

“Hi Mira!” Viktor greets, wheezing out his words, “Can you tell your husband to let me go?”

Ivan’s grips seems to grow a little slack, but not enough for Viktor to escape. 

Mira puts her hands on her hips, making her very pregnant belly look even bigger than it actually is. She sets her lips in a thin line, “We’re having visitors today. Can’t both of you behave?”

“It’s his fault!” Viktor exclaims, “He’s the one—“

“ _My_ fault,” His brother argues, “You’re the sore loser!”

“I am not!”

Mira shakes her head, “Vanya get off him, you’re going to crush him to death.”

Ivan finally loosens his hold and Viktor gasps in a deep breath, exaggerating the pain he’s in. He holds a hand to his chest, “I thought I was going to _die_.”

“You are such a—“

Whatever his brother was going to say is interrupted by the chopper that flies overhead. Viktor jumps to his feet, almost squealing in delight, “He's here!” 

He doesn’t wait to hear anything more from them as he runs across the reservation to see the chopper landing. When the doors open and Nikolai jumps out, Viktor runs to him, greeting him enthusiastically, “Hi Colonel!”

“Hello, Vitya,” He says, smiling and patting his head, “Been causing trouble lately?”

“Of course!” He reassures him, raising his voice over the sound of the chopper, “You know I can’t let Vanya relax!”

Nikolai laughs as he shakes his head, he hands him the backpack he has in his hand, and says, “Help me unload everything.”

Viktor nods, taking the backpack and swinging it over his shoulder. His brother is with them by this time, and he greets Nikolai while Viktor climbs inside the chopper to grab one of the many crates Nikolai has brought. When Ivan is done with his greetings he climbs in too and the other people in the camp come help and in no time, they’re done unloading the provisions the colonel had brought. When it’s done Ivan leads Nikolai into their cottage and they sit in the living room drinking hot tea to warm their frozen hands. 

Viktor takes a seat beside Nikolai, “How’s your grandson?” 

“He’s doing good, turned three last month.” He pulls out a picture from his wallet. Viktor takes it, cooing over the grumpy child in the photo, “He’s _so cute!”_

Ivan shakes his head, “What is it with you and your fascination with human children?”

“I’ve never met one!” Viktor tells him.

“They’re like hybrid babies, just…without the hybrid part.”

“EXACTLY!” Viktor says, “How can a baby be born without any hybridization? I want to meet one in person!” He turns to Nikolai then, “When will you bring him?”

Nikolai looks a bit taken aback, but he smiles nonetheless, “When he’s a little older maybe.”

“Oh! I’m so excited!” 

“Vitya,” Mira calls from the kitchen, “Can you come help me?”

“Sure!” He answers, handing Nikolai the picture back before making his way to the kitchen. While he helps Mira out in the kitchen, his brother and Nikolai discuss some serious matters, matters Viktor can’t be included in yet. But whatever it is, it seems to be quite serious because when Viktor comes back from the kitchen his brother’s face looks very grave. 

“What’s wrong?” Viktor asks him.

He shakes his head, “Nothing, nothing.” He forces a smile, “I was just telling Nikolai how bad you are at fighting.”

The heavy atmosphere they’d fallen into lightens up once Viktor starts arguing with Ivan about how wrong that statement is. Nikolai spends two weeks with them before he has to go back to the world where he comes from. It always makes Viktor sad, because he can’t go with him.

Viktor watches him go morosely as Nikolai climbs inside the chopper and starts it up. Viktor waves sadly at him once he’s taking off. Ivan comes to comfort him once the chopper has disappeared from their view over the mountains.

“I want to go to the place he’s from,” Viktor tells him. “Why can’t we?”

Ivan ruffles his hair, “It’s dangerous for us there. But he’s doing all he can so one day you can go there.”

“Me? What about you?”

Ivan shakes his head, “I…for me—it might be impossible. I’m used to the life I have here.” He looks a little sad, “And to be honest…I don’t want to go there. That place took our parents…so I—I kind of hate it.”

“But you’ve never even been there.”

“I know. Mira says it would be good for our children to go but…I am afraid.” 

Ivan looks off into the distance, the world completely white, even the trees. Viktor has never seen his brother looks so unsure of himself, so he blurts, “If I go I can take them with me. I can take care of them while you decide.”

Ivan laughs, shaking his head, “Now there’s an idea. Now come on, a storm is coming.”

Nikolai visits again two months later, to help Mira with the delivery. Viktor gains three nephews in one day and he forgets about human children for a while because of how busy he becomes with the arrival of the new pack members. 

Nikolai doesn’t forget his promise, however, despite the fact that it takes him two years to fulfill it. 

Viktor cannot contain his excitement when sees the chopper come into view over the mountains. The triples stand beside him, their little faces flushed red from the cold and they are nowhere near as enthusiastic as Viktor is. When he first sees the human child standing on the snow, he almost doesn’t know what to do. He’s a little bigger than his brother's children, but he looks just as fragile. 

“This is my Yurochka,” Nikolai introduces them, patting his grandson's head, “And this is Viktor, Yura. He’s the one I told you about.”

Yuri looks at Viktor for a long time, looking as though he doesn’t know what to do. Viktor kneels in front of him, so they’re eye to eye, he smiles as kindly as he can, “You can call me Vitya…I’ve been wanting to meet you for so long…”

Yuri blushes, full red dots appear in the apples of his cheeks, but he frowns, and mumbles under his breath, “What a creep.”

Nikolai doesn’t hear him but Viktor does and he feels a bit of indignation rise inside him. He holds his tongue because he doesn’t want Nikolai to think badly of him. Instead, he gives the child a tense smile, and says, “What a cutie you are.”

Yuri glares at him, scrunching his nose.

His first meeting with a human child is not what he expected it to be, _Yuri_ is not what he expected him to be. He’s mean and noisy and never, ever lets Viktor get the last word in. He makes Viktor want to rip his hair out and he follows Viktor around, telling him, “Take me to see the Northern Lights.”

“There are no lights here,” Viktor tells him through gritted teeth, “You have the wrong place.”

“But there’s snow!” The little blond thing argues.

“That doesn’t mean there are lights here!”

“I want to see the lights!” He demands, stomping his feet on the snow. “Take me to see them!” 

“NO!” Viktor says, raising his voice, and when Viktor turns away from him, Yuri pulls his tail. He lets out a warning growl, but the child is unfazed and only tugs harder.

Ivan seems to find the whole situation very amusing.

“He’s just a kid,” He’d told Viktor when Viktor had confessed that he hated the little cretin, “Cut him some slack.”

“I _do!_ ” Viktor said, “But he’s so annoying!”

“Oh, Vitya, you’re practically an adult already and he’s _five._ ”

“He’s a _demon!_ ” 

In front of Nikolai, they both act like the other is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to either of them so they don’t upset the older man. 

One day, Yuri seems to finally get fed up with Viktor not taking him to see the Northern Lights so he takes off on his own. It takes Viktor an embarrassingly long time to notice that his personal tormentor is gone. _This stupid brat!_ He internally screams, sniffing the air to try to find his scent. _Nikolai is going to kill me!_

He takes off into the woods, following after him, making use of the tracking skills Ivan had taught him since he was a child. Eventually, after many hours of searching, he manages to catch up with him. Yuri is crying and calling out for help. When he sees Viktor he breaks out into sobs that wrack his entire little frame. 

“Are you stupid?” Viktor asks angrily, “Who gave you permission to go off by yourself?!”

Yuri shakes his head, “Sorry! I’m sorry!” Big fat tears roll down his cheeks. “Vitya,” He cries, wiping his face with the back of his hands, “I’m sorry. Don’t hate me.”

Viktor lets out a sigh of relief, glad he had found him, he picks the little brat in his arms, cradling him close to his body, “I don’t hate you,” He murmurs against his ear. “Just don’t do it again.”

Yuri nods against his chest, and Viktor puts him down, wipes the last of his tears, and grabs his hand, “We have to go back,” He looks up at the sun low in the sky, and squeezes Yuri’s little fingers, “Before the sun sets.”

The way back to the reservation isn’t hard but it is long and Yuri falls behind, already too tired to take another step. 

“Come on!” He calls back to him, “Just a few more miles.”

“But I’m so tired,” Yuri weakly says.

“Just come _on_. The sun is about to set. If we stay here, we’re going to die!”

But Yuri only looks at the ground, incapable of making his legs move. Viktor goes back to where he’s standing and kneels in front of him, “Get on,” He tells him and Yuri wraps his arms around his neck, burying his face into Viktor’s parka. 

“You’re warm,” He says, his voice barely audible.

“Yeah, yeah,” Viktor says, hoisting him up, “You’re an ice cube.” He tries to keep the worry out of his voice because Yuri is very _very_ cold. 

“Your fault…” He says, as always never giving Viktor the benefit of the doubt. 

“No, _your_ fault.” He mutters, beginning the trek back home, “Remember?”

Yuri hums, “You’re warm.” He says again, “Vitya, you’re so warm.”

Then, his head lolls to the side, completely passed out. 

_Damn it!_ He screams internally, _this is bad!_

He urges his feet to go faster, the longer he takes, the higher the risk Yuri catches hypothermia. At least there’s still a bit of light left, that means he has a bit of time before shit _really_ hits the fan. He’s going to have to run back to the reservation if he wants to make it there before the last rays of the sun disappear. Viktor kneels on the floor, opens his parka with one hand, and maneuvers Yuri so he’s nestled inside. He hoists Yuri up higher, grabbing a better hold of him, and zips his parka back up. He’s lucky Yuri is such a tiny little brat because if he was any bigger he doubts he’d be able to stuff him inside. 

Once he’s sure Yuri is secure in his hold he begins running down back to the reserve. He tries not to think about anything but running, because if he stops to contemplate their situation he’s going to start panicking. He runs and runs, glad that Ivan is always challenging him to races because he’s able to maneuver through the forest without hesitation. 

When he finally sees the cottages come into view he almost lets out a sob of relief but he only runs faster. When he finally passes the gate and is in the security of the reserve, he feels relief flood him like a river. But then he’s immediately filled with dread. He wonders if anyone had noticed that they were gone. Viktor would be skinned alive if anything happened to Yuri. Hell doesn’t immediately descend on him when he walks into their cottage. Instead, it’s silent. No one is there and Viktor looks around but finds no one. They must be at the center fire, he realizes, no one would be home until late. He doesn’t know if he should be thankful for that or not. If Viktor hadn’t realized that Yuri had gone missing how long would it have taken for anyone to realize that the kid was gone?

Yuri squirms in his hold, “Mm-cold.”

“Wake up,” Viktor tells him, “Change into your pajamas, and then I’ll warm you up.”

“I wanna sleep,” He mumbles, “Don’t wanna change.”

“If you don’t change you’re going to freeze to death,” Viktor tells him, “And if you die I’m going to get in _so_ much trouble.”

Through a lot of whining and complaining he manages to wrestle the five-year-old out of his clothes and into his pajamas and then he wraps him in furs. He brings the little bundle to the hearth to help him warm up faster. He sits by close to the fire, with Yuri in his lap, then Yuri says, “My feet are cold.”

Viktor unwraps his legs, his hands finding his little feet to cradle them in his palms. He rubs them, trying to warm them up, “It’s a good thing we made it in time,” Viktor tells him, holding one of his feet in the air as he inspects his toes, “If not you would have lost your toes.”

“What?” Yuri asks, a bit fearful.

“Yeah,” Then Viktor grabs his hands, holding his hands to the fire and rubbing his fingers, “Or one of these.”

“Nu-uh,” Yuri denies, shaking his head.

Viktor feels the last bit of adrenaline leaving him so he opts to not argue with him, but still says wearily, “You better not do something like this again. Do you understand me?”

Yuri nods hesitantly, “Okay.”

When Nikolai, his brother, and everyone else comes back home, Yuri has completely warmed up, and when they ask them why they hadn’t gone to the center fire, Yuri cuts in before Viktor could explain what had happened, “I wanted to see the lake!”

Viktor shoots him a look but doesn’t say anything, because they would both definitely get in trouble. And he'd like to avoid everyone's disappointment if he could.

When Yuri leaves two days later, he gives Viktor a shy smile and says, “I’ll come to see you again!”

“Won’t you look at that?” His brother says when the chopper is lifting off the ground, “He likes you.”

Viktor rolls his eyes, “Only because it’s convenient.”

Yuri does come again the next time, and the next, and the next, and the next. Pretty soon, Yuri is seven years old, and Viktor is nineteen, and Yuri wants him to go with him to the city. 

“He’s very adamant,” Nikolai tells his brother, “I tried to convince him to chose one of the triples but he wants Viktor.” 

“I can’t say I didn’t see this coming,” His brother says, smiling, “He follows Viktor around all the time.” Ivan shakes his head, “If Viktor doesn’t disagree, I don’t see why not.”

Viktor feels a bit hesitant to jump at the chance. He wants to, he _does_. But he feels like he’s taking the place of someone who really deserves it. He’s older…he knows that adoptions at his age are…rare—if not unheard of. Especially taking into account his species. 

“Why are you hesitating now?” Mira asks, when he tells her all his doubts, “You’ve always dreamed of going beyond the reserve. Now you can.”

“But the triplets won’t—“

“Vitya,” She says, smiling softly, “The triples are still babies. Barely four. They have a higher chance of being adopted later on…but you don’t. You can’t let this chance slip by,” She pauses, “And to be honest…I don’t want to let them go. I know it’s selfish of me…but if I could keep them all with me forever…I would.” She places a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it, “That child chose you a long time ago. You know that.”

Later that same day, after much mulling, he tells his brother, “I’ll go.”

Ivan smiles, his amethyst eyes shining, “I know.”

“Well then, it’s settled,” Nikolai tells him, “We’ll come get you in a month. I’ll have all the paperwork ready by then.”

Viktor nods with excited nervousness, feeling giddy but trying to hide it.

“Your name is going to be Vitya Plisetsky,” Yuri says, looking up at him, “Because you’re going to belong to me!”

Viktor rolls his eyes, “It’s Viktor.” 

He flicks Yuri’s forehead.

“OW!” The boy exclaims, slapping a hand to his forehead, “That hurt!”

Yuri kicks his leg and Viktor pulls his hair. 

“OW!” He exclaims again and just when he’s about to kick him again Nikolai says, “Yuri behave!”

“But-but-he—“ 

“You’re the one who’s adopting him,” The older man says pointedly, “Maybe you should try being nicer.”

“Who wants to be nice to someone so ugly!” Yuri snaps before kicking Viktor one last time and running off. 

Nikolai shakes his head, “Is this how it’s going to be?”

“No,” Viktor quickly answers but knows deep in his heart that this is _definitely_ how it’s going to be. Nikolai sighs deeply and goes to talk with some of the other hybrids that live in the reserve.

Viktor sniffs the air, immediately picking up Yuri’s scent. He finds his new owner trying to skip stones in the lake. 

“Yura,” He calls but the kid doesn’t turn around, he doesn’t even turn when Viktor is standing right next to him. He continues to try to skip stones, ignoring him.

Viktor looks around and finds a perfect stone. He takes aim and lets it go. It skips once, twice, thrice, before it sinks and Yuri huffs, “Show off.”

“I’ve taught you how to do it right,” Viktor says.

Yuri drops the stones in his hands except one and he aims, just like Viktor taught him, and when he lets it go the stone skips twice in the water before sinking. 

“See,” Viktor says, “Easy.”

Yuri smiles finally, turning to him, “Easy!”

“So,” The older begins, looking off into the distance, “Vitya Plisetsky, huh?”

Yuri shakes his head slowly, “Dedushka said I couldn’t put Vitya on the paper because you needed a _proper_ name. But you’ll be Vitya to me.”

Without giving the kid warning Viktor turns to him and slips his hands under his arms, lifting him up in the air, Yuri squeals loudly before he settles into Viktor’s shoulders and starts laughing. 

“Mmm,” Viktor says, agreeing, “And you’ll be Yurochka to me.”

* * *

“Except I didn’t want a cub. I wanted Vitya.” Yuri smiles ruefully, “I wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“And what happened…why didn’t you…why did Viktor never stay with you?”

The smile slips off Yuri’s face, “Someone reported the reserve to the government and the military descended on the place on the exact same day Vitya was supposed to come home with us.” He clenches his jaw, “I thought—I thought he had died and the shock—the shock made me forget. I forgot. Just— _forgot_.” He hides his face in Yuuri’s shoulder.

Yuuri holds him tightly, and Yuri sobs, “But he didn’t.” He stops, takes a deep breath, and confesses just as Yuuri had, “I love you. I _do._ But I love him too. How do I—how do I make things right? How do I keep you both? How do I stop _hurting_ you?” He is unable to say anything else—hear anything else. He’s can’t seem to be able to continue the story and he can’t hear Yuuri’s response and he closes his eyes tightly, feeling his stomach twisting in knots. He’s so drained that he doesn’t realize when the darkness of his closed eyes turns into unconsciousness. 

The next thing Yuri knows, he’s looking up at the ceiling, blinking his eyes blearily. For a moment, he doesn't know what’s going on, but little by little he regains his bearings. 

He’s in his room, that much he can tell. How he got there, he can’t say.

He tries to move but his limbs don't respond and he's so tired he doesn't even continue trying. He closes his eyes again, listening to his surroundings. 

_ Where did they go?  _ He thinks to himself. The house is too quiet, too peaceful. _I hope they didn't kill each other._

"You will be glad to know we didn't," Viktor's voice from somewhere beside him. 

Yuri opens his eyes, barely shifting his head to look at him. Viktor was sitting on the bed, his back towards Yuri and he was wearing a beanie, strangely. 

"Vitya," Yuri breathed. 

He sees the way Viktor's shoulders tense, then he lowers his head, "I haven't heard that name in nineteen years."

Yuri reaches out to touch him, but he's too far away, and he's left grasping at air, and his hand uselessly flops on the mattress. He looks around, noting that Yuuri was nowhere within his sight, "Where's Yuuri?"

Viktor shrugs uncaringly, "Choking on his spit, hopefully." 

He still doesn't turn around to face Yuri. 

"I'm not, but thanks for the good wishes." Yuuri's voice interrupts before Yuri can say anything, he comes in through the door and smiles when he sees Yuri, "You're awake! I'm so glad, I was starting to get worried."

Yuri blinks, bewildered, looking between them. 

Yuuri moves to help him sit up against the headboard, propping up the pillows to help support him, and he tells Yuri, "You've been asleep for almost twenty hours. I was getting ready to call Dr. Morozova." He continues on telling Yuri about how there had been a snowstorm last night and that Viktor and he had to shovel the driveway and the roof. Viktor doesn't join the conversation and he _still_ won't look at Yuri. "Do you want something to eat?" Yuuri asks, looking at him. 

"No..." Yuri murmurs, a bit distracted, "I don't think I can stomach anything right now."

"Oh," Yuuri says, sitting next to him, "I suppose that's understandable."

A silence falls on them and then after a moment Yuuri huffs, "Viktor."

The hybrid doesn't answer him and Yuuri says again, more forcefully, "Viktor!"

"What?" He asks, annoyed.

"Yura wants to talk to you."

"Ah-" Yuri begins, "No-I **—** "  


Before Yuri can say anything else, Yuuri has practically crawled over his lap to get to the other side of the bed and he pulls at the back of Viktor's beanie.  "Hey!" He says, "We're talking to you!"

"No, Yu—" The blond begins but Viktor finally turns around, his brows pulled together in anger, and the beanie slipping off his head.

"Stop that!" He tells Yuuri, "You are—"

Yuri can't quite catch what he says next, or what Yuuri spits back, because his focus is entirely on Viktor's short hair and—and his _very_ bruised face. 

"What _happened_ to you?" He exclaims, interrupting their arguing. 

"Ask _him!_ " Viktor says, motioning to Yuuri.

Yuri turns his questioning gaze to Yuuri and the Shiba Inu hybrid just shrugs and says very matter-of-factly, "He said he was leaving while you were asleep and I told him no. He was being very disagreeable so I had to put him in his place. As the second-in-command of your pack Yura," He continues, almost sneering at Viktor, "It's my duty to make sure he doesn't forget who's the leader here."

"You are _not_ the second-in-command!" Viktor vehemently denies, throwing his beanie at Yuuri's face.

"You guys—what—" Yuri stammers, bringing his hands to his face, "What are you guys even saying?"

"He wanted to _leave!_ " Yuuri explains, "In the middle of a snowstorm! Can you believe him? I thought wolves were supposed to be smart. And yet here he was, saying _he'll be happier with you, I'm taking myself out of the equation._ Like he had a _choice._ "

Yuri's heart sinks in his chest, and he turns to look at Viktor, "You were _leaving_?"

And Viktor looks down, unable to meet his eyes

Yuuri continues, his anger seeping through his voice, "He tried. He didn't know that you could end up in _prison_ for letting him escape. But no! All he thinks is about himself! Like always!"

After Yuuri's explanation silence befalls on them, and Yuri swallows thickly. He clears his throat, "Viktor—Vitya..." He begins only to choke halfway through, he stops.

Viktor reaches out to hold his hand, and says, "I'm sorry. I—to be honest...I am not entirely sure this is real." He plays with Yuri's fingers, "When I was—there. I used to fantasize about meeting you again. That's the only thing that kept me going for _years_. All I could think was that one day I would escape that place and go home to you. When I wake up...I'm expecting to be back there...but I wake up instead to see you. And him." He adds belatedly, shooting Yuuri an annoyed look, "In my fantasies you only had me. Only needed me...so I have had a hard time—a hard time having to share you." Yuri squeezes his fingers, "I don't want to hurt you...and if having me here more than you can manage I don't mind—leaving."

"But I don't want you to leave me," Yuri says in a barely audible voice, pulling him closer, and he grabs Yuuri's hand too, "I don't want either of you to leave me."

"—I know that." Viktor quickly says, almost sheepishly, "Now." His eyes flicker to Yuuri and then back to Yuri. 

Yuri blinks, a bit confused, there is something that he's clearly is missing. He looks between them not knowing exactly what to say.

Like always, it's Yuuri that comes to his rescue, "We...don't want to leave you." He starts, "And we don't want to make you choose either...so we will try—" He makes a face like he's eating a sour lemon, "—try to be...civil. With each other..." 

"Wha-what?" Yuri stammers.

"We both want to be with you," Yuuri clarifies, "And we both understand that we are important to you in different ways. We will try to get along so we can both stay with you. I want to try."

Yuri stares at Yuuri for what feels like a full minute. He still remembers the quiet, frightened hybrid that came to him years ago, and looking at him now, speaking back to Yuri so clearly and telling him exactly what he wants and plans on doing without anyone's input...well, he's just glad to see Yuuri radiating with confidence now. 

Then he turns to look at Viktor and he's looking back at him with uneasiness as if he's waiting for Yuri to refuse this proposal.

He smiles at them weakly, "How did you guys even...arrive at this conclusion?"

"Well," Yuuri says, scratching his cheek and smiling, "You can say there was a lot...negotiating involved." He shifts on the bed and he winces.

"What's wrong?" Yuri asks.

"I'm okay," He reassures, "Just...very bruised." 

"What type of negotiations did you guys have?" Yuri questions despite having an idea. Negotiations between canines usually involved brawls. 

Both hybrids exchange looks and then both look away at the same time. 

Yuuri clears his throat, and changes the subject, "Do you want to eat something now?"

Yuri shakes his head and again refuses.

Finally, Viktor moves to sit next to Yuri and he lays his head on his lap, indicating that he wants to be pet. Yuri runs a hand through his hair and then, to his surprise, Yuuri also lays his head on his lap. For a moment, he freezes, because Yuuri had never displayed such boldness but after a moment he begins running his other hand through his dark hair. 

Yuri pretends not to see how excited they are based on how much their tails are wagging. There's a lot that needs to be addressed, once he has strength enough to leave his bed, he'll have to talk to them about it. But right now it's probably a conversation for another day. For now, he lays his head back, feeling happy. 

Feeling so much boundless joy that he might burst. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all for your patience. This last chapter was not supposed to take this long...lolol. but anyway, i hope you guys enjoyed it. I'm a bit dissatisfied with it but i wanted to post it anyway because it's been such a long time and i wanted to finish it. but anyway.
> 
> there will be an epilogue in the following weeks. btw. 
> 
> until then stay safe!


End file.
